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.
|