World Tribune.com

Rand: U.S. must expand Middle East presence

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, June 26, 2001

WASHINGTON Ñ The United States has been urged to expand its military presence in the Middle East to ensure access to ports and bases and allow rapid reaction to any threat in the region.

The recommendation was one of several issued by the Rand Corp. in a study that examined future threats to U.S. forces. The report was commissioned by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and released on Friday.

The study Ñ which examined threat scenarios in another 10 to 15 years Ñ urged the Pentagon to ensure that the U.S. military has access to ports and bases in the Gulf and Middle East. The access, the study said, should be accompanied by increasing military coordination with U.S. allies in the region.

Jordan has acknowledged that U.S. troops bolted the Hashemite kingdom Saturday after a threat of attack by Saudi billionaire fugitive Osama Bin Laden, Middle East Newsline reported.

Jordanian officials said the Pentagon obtained information that Bin Laden planned to attack the 2,200 U.S. Marines training in the kingdom. The marines were involved in a joint exercise with Jordanian forces.

The U.S. troops left on Saturday. The U.S.-Jordanian exercise was regarded as one of the largest ground force maneuvers in the kingdom. The two countries have agreed to increase joint exercises and training as part of improved defense relations.

Other recommendations by Rand Corp. included the development of long-strike capability, improved rapid response and the capability to launch long-range munitions.

The study envisioned U.S. troops abroad being under threat from ballistic missiles as well as a superior number of enemy troops.

The Pentagon has asked for $745 billion during fiscal 2002.

Rumsfeld is expected to discuss some of the recommendations during budget hearings in Congress on Wednesday and Thursday. Congressional leaders appear ready to accept the Pentagon's request on missile defense.

"We should conduct R&D on boost-phase technologies that may have application to intercepting long-range missiles from nations such as North Korea and Iran," Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told the National Defense University last month. "This may be an area where we can reach agreement with Russia."

Among the future threats faced by the U.S. troops include enemy missiles, weapons of mass destruction and enemy attempts to restrict U.S. access to bases or ports on friendly territory.

Rand president David Gompert called for the Pentagon to exploit information technology and other means to confront a large enemy force. He also called for a multi-tiered missile defense program.

Print this Article Print this Article Email this article Email this article Subscribe to this Feature Free Headline Alerts