Article

2004-06-09 Europe

U.S. to reduce troop presence in Germany

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Rafael 2004-06-09 11:43:27 AM|| || Front Page|| [11128 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Oops. I'm pretty sure I selected Page 2. Guess not...sorry.

Posted by Rafael 2004-06-09 11:45:31 AM|| 2004-06-09 11:45:31 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Auf wiedersehen, after 59 years and two generations we think that you can be trusted. Don't make us come back.

Posted by RWV 2004-06-09 11:51:02 AM|| 2004-06-09 11:51:02 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 The SPD and their coalition partners the leech-like Greens will have lots of explaining to do when our guys are gone, and they have to deal with full-blown repeated terrorist attacks on their soil. It should be interesting to watch.

Posted by BigEd 2004-06-09 11:54:39 AM|| 2004-06-09 11:54:39 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 BigEd lets hope there are no terrorists attacks - germany is a friend and will be.. they were led astray by france but always stayed in the background of the fray....

anyone heard from TGA?? would love to hear his views on this..

Posted by Dan 2004-06-09 12:00:12 PM|| 2004-06-09 12:00:12 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Dan, you spoke to soon. Check Debka

http://www.debka.com

At least 16 injured, 4 seriously, in a bomb explosion on shopping street in Germany city of Cologne. Cause unknown

Posted by danking70 2004-06-09 12:17:52 PM|| 2004-06-09 12:17:52 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 WOW, imagine 70,000 troops 'buffering' our guys in Iraq,even if the baddy tried something stupid, the odds of him being detected or captured would increase 10 fold! I'd rather see our boys walking around with a toothpick in his mouth doing nothing in Iraq, than the same in Germany; hell, atleast the chance of killing 'shorty tuban' is good!

Posted by smn 2004-06-09 12:21:04 PM|| 2004-06-09 12:21:04 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 damn - i guess i did speak too soon...all the asshats are doing are giving some backbone to europe... iran is a good example..

pesonally i do not want too see 70,000 more troops in iraq...we are stretched pretty thin - to the point i am sure the chicoms are considering their options in regards to taiwan....
the iraqi's can handle much more security than a year ago on thier own and we need to rest the troops for next years operations...ala iran - which is feeling the heat from europe who they banked being on the opposite side of the US.... yes folks things are def falling into place..

Posted by Dan 2004-06-09 12:32:28 PM|| 2004-06-09 12:32:28 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 I like it! SK, and now Germany too! I like it. When whiney babies get big enough to bite the tit that feeds them, it's time to take them off it.

Posted by B 2004-06-09 12:37:56 PM|| 2004-06-09 12:37:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 At long last Germany will be free of the cruel hand of American Occupation.

I hope they enjoy.

Posted by Michael 2004-06-09 1:13:44 PM|| 2004-06-09 1:13:44 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Dan:
BigEd lets hope there are no terrorists attacks

At least 17 people have been hurt in an suspected bomb blast in a commercial district of the German city of Cologne

I am now going to put on a fake Caribbean accent call my self Sir BigEd, and start a 900 number and charge $9.95 for a three minute call.

Madame Cleo is in the slammer. I now have credentials, and can take over the niche. . .

Posted by BigEd 2004-06-09 1:44:50 PM|| 2004-06-09 1:44:50 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 The two divisions in Germany are the 1st Armored and the 1st Infantry, with some 70,000 troops. They are both currently in Iraq. They would be returned to the United States under the Pentagon plan although it was unclear where...

Heh heh heh.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2004-06-09 2:17:04 PM|| 2004-06-09 2:17:04 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 It is time to reduce the troops in Germany... but this stinks just a little bit of infantry deprivation in Iraq. I damn sure expect Germany will be honky dorry without us and will continue to allow the use of the basic infrastructrue.

But uh.... fuck the skors.

Posted by Shipman 2004-06-09 2:49:38 PM|| 2004-06-09 2:49:38 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Well what can I say? If it were for me, you could stay as long as you like. But let's face it, U.S. troops in Germany do no longer have to protect us... there is no enemy to fight anymore. Actually German troops have been guarding U.S. military installations in Germany because troops are away in Iraq. So I guess there's enough trust on both sides.
Whether U.S. troops stay or don't is purely a matter of U.S. strategical decisions. Reasons to stay?

1. U.S. troops like it here, and they are well liked (Germans are most U.S. friendly NEAR U.S. installations, go figure). The "RaR factor" should not be underestimated, and many servicemen (and women) are married to Germans.
2. Germany is still in the center of Europe. And to have some troops rather close to France might not be such a bad idea.
3. Even if there are political differences Germany is not likely to restrict U.S. military action starting from German soil. That might not always be the case in Poland, Romania or Bulgaria. Political opinions can shift.
4. It's all here: Perfect airbases, hospitals, infrastructure. Sure, you can build all this in Eastern Europe, but just to be a 1000 miles closer to the presumed "action" isn't really worth the extra expenses. Romania and Bulgaria will join the EU in 2007, so prices will go up in the next decade.
5. I wouldn't mind having some U.S. troops in Eastern Europe. Russia won't attack us, but if hell frezes over they'd have a tougher time this way.

U.S. troops can't really protect us from terrorist attacks. Even if AQ stages a German 9/11 there is little U.S. troops could do. The work inside Germany would have to be done by police and I guess the Bundeswehr is strong enough to help. We won't see an AQ bataillon crossing the Rhine. It's a different fight.
What I would like to see is a more professional Bundeswehr, close cooperation with the U.S. military abroad to fight terrorism.
The "Fremde Heere Ost" do no longer exist. Other enemies do.

Will it hurt the German economy if U.S. troops leave. Only marginally. The local communities would certainly be affected, but please consider that in the Cold War we had up to 500000 troops here. Some major bases will stay anyway, Ramstein, Frankfurt Airbase for sure.

Btw it seems that Bush and SchrÃ¶der got along quite well at the G8 summit. Oh, something you might find intreresting. Despite all that Kerry hype in the German press, the "usually well informed sources" still predict a Bush win in November and plan accordingly.

So do I.

And in 2006 the CDU/CSU opposition will win by a landslide. Both possible candidates, Angela Merkel and Edmund Stoiber, are very U.S. friendly and not exactly fond of France.

Posted by True German Ally 2004-06-09 2:57:21 PM|| 2004-06-09 2:57:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 Let's not forget Allah's tribute to Schroeder.

Posted by someone 2004-06-09 3:33:22 PM|| 2004-06-09 3:33:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 Hey someone, you think keyboards look better in brown???

Posted by True German Ally 2004-06-09 4:03:21 PM|| 2004-06-09 4:03:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 Both possible candidates, Angela Merkel and Edmund Stoiber, are very U.S. friendly and not exactly fond of France.

That's going to be a tough one. Stoiber appears to me to have better overall credentials, but I like Merkel's background too. Either one is a sight better than Shroeder.

Posted by Pappy 2004-06-09 7:04:28 PM|| 2004-06-09 7:04:28 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 Bring the troops home and deploy them along our border with Mexico and canada. We have to stop the flood of illegals and terrorists from coming across the border.

Posted by Halfass Pete 2004-06-09 7:09:46 PM|| 2004-06-09 7:09:46 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 An exit strategy in Germany, Japan, and Korea first before Iraq. Looks like Korea is already moving. Should be first in, first out.

Posted by Don 2004-06-09 7:17:05 PM|| 2004-06-09 7:17:05 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 So we can use the German/Korea model for a 'secure' withdrawl of troops? So anything short of say 50 years has to be called a success?

Posted by Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) 2004-06-09 7:38:19 PM|| 2004-06-09 7:38:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 Bring the troops home and deploy them along our border with Mexico and canada. We have to stop the flood of illegals and terrorists from coming across the border.

Unless there's Border Patrol "riders" along, there's a little thing called the Posse Comitatus Act (18 USC 1385).

Frankly, deploying troops might make for a fine show, but unless other, more concrete, actions are taken, it ain't nuthin' but window dressing.

Posted by Pappy 2004-06-09 10:30:54 PM|| 2004-06-09 10:30:54 PM|| Front Page Top

#21 there's a little thing called the Posse Comitatus Act (18 USC 1385).

Bet it's overuled by the Patriot Act1 and 2.

Posted by Charles 2004-06-09 10:39:55 PM|| 2004-06-09 10:39:55 PM|| Front Page Top

17:09 Liberalhawk
17:09 Liberalhawk
09:50 Shipman
09:50 Shipman
10:56 ConservativeView
16:31 Anonymous5231
19:50 CrazyFool
13:34 jules 187
09:18 Bill Nelson
09:08 .com
09:05 Phil Fraering
07:44 Howard UK
06:42 .com
06:36 Baltic Blog
06:03 .com
05:42 Anonymous4617
04:42 .com
04:24 Anonymous4617
03:56 .com
03:33 Super Hose
02:06 Mark Espinola
01:42 Dar
01:19 .com
01:08 Rafael