Germany to remain as top US base

[SodoffBush]

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=52&story_id=2637

MUNICH - Germany is to remain the most important foreign base for the US military with far fewer troops being withdrawn as thought under plans by the Bush administration to reshuffle its global military presence, a press report said Thursday.

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper said it had learned that up to 80 percent of the 70,000 US troops in Germany would remain stationed in the country and that Washington has no plans to set up bases in Poland, Bulgaria or Romania as considered earlier this year.

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With many of the German-based troops active in Iraq, Washington has decided that armed forces families should not be placed under further strain which could affect troop morale, the report said.

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The decision means that plans to move bases to new NATO member Poland or designated NATO countries Bulgaria or Romania will not be pursued. Washington believes the expense of establishing new infrastructure in those countries would be too high in view of the present strains on the budget.