The US plans to put "substantially" more ships and warplanes in Asia and the Pacific, even as it pulls troops out of South Korea, a top Pentagon official told Congress on Wednesday.
The build-up of armaments is part of the broadest repositioning of US forces worldwide since the end of the Korean War more than 50 years ago.
In Asia, the moves are intended to boost the US' ability to meet commitments on the Korean Peninsula and elsewhere in the region, despite any permanent cut of troop numbers on the ground, Douglas Feith, under secretary of defense for policy, told the House Armed Services Committee.
"We are not focused on maintaining numbers of troops overseas," Feith said. "Instead, we are focused on increasing the capabilities of our forces and those of our friends."
The Pentagon is concerned about the rapid modernization of China's military and its threat to use force against Taiwan if it moves toward independence.
North Korea's nuclear program is another big US concern.
The military has already announced plans to move about 3,600 US troops from South Korea to Iraq this summer and not replace them. Some South Koreans are also concerned that Washington may pull out of a big part of its 37,000 troops there under the coming realignment.
As part of the repositioning, the US likely will move an aircraft carrier battle group to the Pacific islands of Guam or Hawaii, Ray Dubois, a deputy undersecretary for installations, said after the hearing.
A decision on what port the carrier and its air wing would call home, as well as where they would come from, would be made next year as part of a review of the next round of base closings in the US, Dubois said.
Once the changes are in place, the US "will have increased substantially our naval and air assets in the Asia-Pacific region that increase our abilities to operate effectively ... and fulfill our commitments in the area -- on the Korean Peninsula and elsewhere," Feith testified.
One goal of the shift will be to overcome "the vast distances," he said, but he provided few details. The plans were the subject of consultations in key capitals around the world, he said.
He said the Bush administration envisioned consolidating facilities in Japan and South Korea.
Later this year, a new nuclear-powered attack submarine is to arrive in Guam, the third to make Guam its home port since 2002. The US has spoken to Australia about a combined training facility and possible "pre-positioning" of war-fighting supplies, Feith said.
In other changes, Feith said the Bush administration would invest in new military facilities in southeastern Europe that would be useful for joint training and as a springboard for rapid deployment to the Middle East. He ruled out building full-fledged bases.
In the Middle East, the administration proposed maintaining facilities to be used for emergencies and force rotations.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
RSS