From CNN: U.S. troops move gets muted response.
Though the withdrawal will be spread over years, areas of southern and western Germany with U.S. bases will feel a sharp economic impact, including the likely loss of tens of thousands of local jobs. Germany is home to some 70,000 U.S. soldiers, the bulk of the American military presence in Europe."I regret this very much," German Defense Minister Peter Struck told reporters during a visit to troops in northern Germany. "This is a serious loss for those regions."
From AFP: Germany set to suffer most in massive US troop pull-out.
Although US officials have assured Germany that the move is not intended as punishment for Berlin's outspoken opposition to the Iraq war, the plans have left a bitter aftertaste in towns that have come to rely on Uncle Sam.
Not surprisingly, Kerry challenges Bush troop plan.
Kerry told the veterans Bush's plan "sends the wrong signal to withdraw from Europe and the Far East now when we need to cultivate those allies" to help fight the war on terror.
But as James Taranto noted today:
... Kerry seem[s] to be making a fetish of preserving Cold War-era alliances and institutions, even if it means sacrificing U.S. security interests. Given who's proposing change here and who's resisting it, you really have to wonder just who the "conservatives" are.Posted by Forkum at August 18, 2004 09:25 PM
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