. | . |
Planned U.S. troop drawdown in Germany frozen, under review by Ed Adamczyk Washington DC (UPI) Feb 3, 2021 A plan to draw down U.S. troop strength in Germany was put on hold, U.S. European Command chief Gen. Tod Wolters said on Wednesday. President Joe Biden's administration is reviewing the proposal to remove about 12,000 troops from Germany by former President Donald Trump, who was angered by Germany's lack of commitment to a pledge for increased NATO funding, Wolters said. "The previous planning that was ongoing for the previous initiatives that have been put on freeze," Wolters said. He added that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin "is at this moment in the process of conducting a very, very thorough review" of the prior planning and will "ultimately embrace our U.S. President and the White House, and deliver us a decision." The proposed withdrawal was mentioned and removed from the new National Defense Authorization Act, which was enacted in January over Trump's veto. Under the current NDAA, the Pentagon cannot reduce U.S. troop strength in Germany below 34,500 forces without first giving Congress a rundown on how it would impact Europe's security. Wolters was a proponent of the pullout plan when it was revealed in July 2020, noting at the time that it would make the U.S. military presence in Europe more agile and effective. The plan was unpopular with U.S. legislators, who suggested that removing one-third of U.S. troops from Germany, sending half to the United States and the rest remaining in Europe on a rotational basis, could embolden Russia.
Biden resets by stressing US commitment to defend Japan Washington (AFP) Jan 27, 2021 President Joe Biden reaffirmed Wednesday the United States' commitment to defend Japan in his first phone call with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, striking a note of reassurance after the Trump era. During Donald Trump's administration, America's Asian allies often questioned whether Washington would uphold long-standing promises to defend them in the event of a military attack. Trump had publicly mulled withdrawing troops from Japan and South Korea, where more than 20,000 US military personnel ... read more
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |