U.S. Plans Troop Reductions in Germany

The U.S. Defense Department plans on pulling as many as half of its 71,000 troops out of Germany, according to a report on the Washington Post website. The report, citing unidentified U.S. officials, said the Pentagon draft plan would shift emphasis in Europe to smaller bases in Romania and possibly Bulgaria, and training bases would be set up in Poland. U.S. officials have said in the past that troop reductions in Germany were in the cards, but the extent of the cuts was unknown up to now. In Asia, some 15,000 of the 100,000 troops stationed in the region would be withdrawn. The newspaper reported that some of the troops overseas would be brought home and important equipment would be dispersed in a wider area to allow for a quicker dispatch of solders when the need arises.