Just some more information for your discernment!

U.S. to boost naval, air presence in Asia-Pacific
By Jim Wolf, Reuters

WASHINGTON, June 23 (Reuters) - The United States plans to put "substantially"
more ships and warplanes in Asia and the Pacific, even as it pulls troops out
of South Korea, a top Pentagon official told Congress on Wednesday.

The build-up of armaments is part of the broadest repositioning of U.S. forces
worldwide since the end of the Korean War more than 50 years ago.

In Asia, the moves are intended to boost the U.S. ability to meet commitments
on the divided Korean peninsula and elsewhere in the region, despite any
permanent cut of troop numbers on the ground, Douglas Feith, under secretary of
defense for policy, told the House Armed Services Committee.

"We are not focused on maintaining numbers of troops overseas," Feith said.
"Instead, we are focused on increasing the capabilities of our forces and those
of our friends."

The Pentagon is concerned about China's rapid military modernization and its
threat to use force against Taiwan if the self-governing island moves toward
formal independence.

North Korea's nuclear program is another big U.S. concern.

The military has already announced plans to move about 3,600 U.S. troops from
South Korea to Iraq this summer and not replace them. Some South Koreans are
also concerned that Washington may pull out of a big part of its 37,000 troops
there under the coming realignment.

As part of the repositioning, the United States likely will move an
aircraft-carrier battle group to the Pacific islands of Guam or Hawaii, Ray
Dubois, a deputy undersecretary for installations, told Reuters after the
hearing.

A decision on what port the carrier and its air wing would call home, as well
as where they would come from, would be made next year as part of a review of
the next round of base closings in the United States, Dubois said.

Once the changes are in place, the United States "will have increased
substantially our naval and air assets in the Asia-Pacific region that increase
our abilities to operate effectively ... and fulfill our commitments in the
area -- on the Korean peninsula and elsewhere," Feith testified.

One goal of the shift will be to overcome "the vast distances," he said, but he
provided few details. The plans were the subject of consultations in key
capitals around the world, he said.

He said the Bush administration envisioned consolidating facilities and
headquarters in Japan and South Korea.

Later this year, a new nuclear-powered attack submarine is to arrive in Guam,
the third to make Guam its home port since 2002. The United States has spoken
to Australia about a combined training facility and possible "pre-positioning"
of war-fighting supplies, Feith said.

In other changes, Feith said the Bush administration would invest in new
military facilities in southeastern Europe that would be useful for joint
training and as a springboard for rapid deployment to the Middle East. He ruled
out building full-fledged bases.

In the Middle East, the administration proposed to maintain facilities to be
used for emergencies and force rotations, building on those used in the
U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Just some more information for your discernment!