| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| Poland in Talks on Hosting U.S. Military Bases |
| 2004-01-08 |
| Poland has launched negotiations with Washington on hosting U.S. military bases on its territory, Poland’s Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski said Thursday. "We expect the second round of consultations on the issue of bases early this year. It’s too early to give any details," Szmajdzinski told the parliament’s defense committee. He added Poland was generally in favor of hosting the bases, but the issue of who would cover their operating costs remained open. Ka-ching. The United States began a diplomatic offensive last month in a dozen European capitals to discuss a redeployment strategy expected to involve closing bases in western Europe and reflect a greater NATO focus on the east and south. Poland, a staunch supporter of the war in Iraq, could see one of the biggest build-ups of U.S. forces in Europe on its territory, diplomats say. The action is definitely east. Russia has expressed concern over any U.S. military moves closer to its border. But Washington has said any redeployment of troops to eastern Europe was intended to tackle new security threats and was in no way directed against Moscow. Szmajdzinski declined, however, to confirm a newspaper report that American forces could take over an air base at Powidz, to the west of Warsaw. Squirm, Vlad. |
| Posted by:seafarious |
| #9 Big Macs and boxes of cheap white wine as ordinance would break the back of any advancing Fr. 'troops'. I hope those Le Big Macs are served avec fromage. Otherwise the belgians could charge us with war crimes. |
| Posted by: 4thInfVet 2004-1-8 8:26:10 PM |
| #8 Tibor - No need to deploy light armor. I'm thinking a few close air support sorties with Big Macs and boxes of cheap white wine as ordinance would break the back of any advancing Fr. 'troops'. Mon Dieu!! |
| Posted by: doc8404 2004-1-8 8:18:54 PM |
| #7 4thInfVet -- We should keep some troops in Germany so we can invade France when they take the next logical step in their assault on the US -- open physical aggression (followed, of course, by their shrieking surrender at the sight of the first Stryker). |
| Posted by: Tibor 2004-1-8 7:14:15 PM |
| #6 keep the hospital and staging areas in Germany Why? Let der chermans pound sand up their a**es and let's quit subsidizing their welfare state. The sooner we can get ALL of our troops out of there, the sooner the germans can start feeling some pain. |
| Posted by: 4thInfVet 2004-1-8 4:45:49 PM |
| #5 , and our Islamist buddies will learn a new English word: "encirclement." Damn that's good. the Cold War focus was maintained over so many generations of US government and Pentagon administrations. Carl... yeah. Comparable to the Roman watch on the Rhine. Romans did it longer... but we've done it a hell of a lot further. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-1-8 3:57:43 PM |
| #4 Like to see the 173rd "take over" the base in Poland like they did the one in Iraq. Pointed message to Vlad. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2004-1-8 3:04:29 PM |
| #3 I took a class on US Basing strategy a long while back (yep, it was an actual class). The extent and number of bases (of all kinds) worldwide was mind-boggling, as was the fact that the Cold War focus was maintained over so many generations of US government and Pentagon administrations. |
| Posted by: Carl in N.H. 2004-1-8 3:01:01 PM |
| #2 I like it. An airbase near Warsaw, some quick reaction troops and an airbase say in Bulgaria, keep the hospital and staging areas in Germany, keep the naval basing rights in Italy, and get Q-man to re-open Wheelus for us. Add that to our upcoming new leases in Iraq, intel and port calls in Djbouti, and bases in Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, and our Islamist buddies will learn a new English word: "encirclement." |
| Posted by: Steve White 2004-1-8 1:31:23 PM |
| #1 So, Vlad, those missiles still aimed at Alaska? |
| Posted by: Anonymous2U 2004-1-8 1:18:12 PM |