Re: FW from MS SLATE: troops to be redeployed

[Daniel Davies <dsquared@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Title: Today's Papers

by the way, my understanding is that the wages of the US troops in Germany are paid by the German government. Is this right?

 

dd

-----Original Message-----
From: PEN-L list [mailto:PEN-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Devine, James
Sent: 17 August 2004 16:36
To: PEN-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: FW from MS SLATE: troops to be redeployed

>The Los Angeles Times and USA Today lead with President Bush's announcement that the Pentagon is planning to "bring home" about 65,000 U.S. soldiers from Europe and Asia over the next decade. ... The general outlines of the redeployment plan have been known for months--namely pulling troops out of Germany and South Korea, bringing most of them home, and establishing a series of forward operating posts in Central Asia. Bush's announcement, which came during a campaign speech to veterans, didn't add many details. The president said the realignment is needed to shift troops from their cold-war positions and "for the sake of our military families."

>Analysts were skeptical. "I don't understand how we gain strategic ability to respond by moving people to the U.S., further away from the likely trouble spots," one told the Post. The Post and NYT editorial pages are also flummoxed. "It is certain to strain crucial alliances, increase overall costs and dangerously weaken deterrence on the Korean peninsula at the worst possible moment," says the Times. The Journal pronounces the move a "good idea on several levels--geographic, political and strategic."<

Why isn't it obvious that this (1) frees up troops for deployment to Iraq while (2) sounding like Bush is "bringing troops home"?

Jim Devine