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Romanian parliament approves U.S. troops
BUCHAREST, Romania - Parliament on Wednesday approved an agreement allowing the U.S. to use four Romanian military bases and station up to 3,000 troops in the former communist country. Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu praised the agreement, saying for decades many Romanians had "only one hope: that the American troops would come and free us from communism." Today, however, "Romania is no longer a victim looking for a savior, but a partner of the United States in the fight against terrorism," he said. Lawmakers voted 257-1, with 29 nationalists abstaining, to approve the 10-year agreement, which was signed in December 2005 by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Lucian Bolcas, a senior leader of the nationalist Great Romania Party, called it "very serious" for Romania to become a buffer state between two major nuclear powers the U.S. and Russia. Russia has criticized the deployment of U.S. troops in its former sphere of influence in eastern Europe. Moscow is also angered by a U.S. plan to place ballistic missile defenses in the Czech Republic and Poland, saying it threatens the balance of power in the region. The United States is expected to take over the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base in Romania later this year, although no exact date has been announced. U.S. troops are also allowed to use three training bases in southeast and central Romania. Posted by: tu3031 2007-05-02 |
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