Written by: Beck
The defense department is moving towards a
gradual troop redeployment away from Europe.
In a major overhaul of the U.S. military presence overseas, the Pentagon has drawn up plans to withdraw the two U.S. Army divisions from Germany and undertake an array of other changes in its European-based forces, according to American and allied officials.
The withdrawal of the divisions is intended to be part of the most significant rearrangement of American forces around the world since the onset of the cold war. Pentagon policy makers say the moves aim to afford maximum flexibility in dispatching forces to the Middle East, Central Asia and other potential battlegrounds.
That sounds just about right to me. We waited over a decade to make certain the cold war was well and truly dead, now it's time to stop guarding the East German border, what with how, you know, there's no more East Germany. Or Warsaw Pact. Or Soviet Union--mustn't forget that one.
Naturally, everyone's primary concern seems to be the diplomatic harm this will do. The European countries which play host to American troops rake in great gobs of money, all of it ultimately coming from American taxpayers. The Euroweenies really can't stomach the thought of losing all that money, even as they do everything in their power to thwart our military aims at the same time. Well, Germany, guess you should have thought of that before refusing to back us in Iraq. What, real-politik is fine for when it helps you, but when it hurts you all of a sudden we're the bad guys?
(H/T:
The Rottweiler)