It said the withdrawals -- the largest restructuring of Washington's military presence abroad since World War II -- would be announced in a speech by US President George W. Bush.

Citing "people briefed on the plan" in a front-page story datelined London, the newspaper said two-thirds of the reductions would be in Europe, with 70,000 troops -- mostly from Germany -- being sent back to stateside bases.

"In Asia, the drawdown is expected to include the 3,500-soldier brigade from South Korea, recently deployed in Iraq, but will also include scaling down presences in several other countries in the region," it said.

Germany will still host the largest contingent of US troops in Europe, but the pullouts could nevertheless see the departure of the 1st Armoured Division and the 1st Infantry Division, the Financial Times said.

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