CAAB

9 December 2003
BRUSSELS: As part of its 'ambitious plan' of relocating US troops, posted around the globe, to the regions closer to 'areas of instability and trouble spots', the US administration intends to negotiate new military bases in Pakistan, India and several other countries across the globe, a source closely linked to the Nato defence ministers' deliberations in Brussels told
The News.

In their pursuit to enhance the capacity of the US troops to react more rapidly to trouble spots around the world, especially in the Middle East and South Asia, the US defence authorities have indicated the need for new military bases. In their consultations on the sidelines of the Nato defence ministers' and foreign ministers' meetings in Brussels, the US military
leaders are reported to have revealed their intentions to negotiate new military bases in countries like Pakistan, India, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, the defence source said.

The Pentagon has finalised a comprehensive strategy aimed at seeking new military bases, in the regions closer to "areas of instability", based on its plan to reshuffle tens of thousands of American troops posted around the globe. The Pentagon's relocation plan, according to the source, is guided by the finding of the US military experts that "dangers associated with rogue nations, global terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction are less
predictable and the situation warrants a substantial reshuffle of tens of thousands of American troops posted around the globe".

Citing a report of United States Department of Defence, the military source in Brussels claimed United States Air Force (USAF) feels that in the changed world security milieu, it will be in the best interest of the US to establish air bases in Pakistan, India and some Central Asian states, besides availing of the possibility of having new bases in Central and Eastern European countries.

American generals want "access closer to areas of instability". This strategic need of the US forces would be discussed with Pakistani and Indian leaders soon, according to the source. American military officials plan to shortly tell Pakistani and Indian leaders that they want access to Pakistani and Indian bases and military infrastructures. The American generals,
according to the report, feel that having military bases in India and Pakistan is important because of their strategic location.

Linkage with Afghanistan and access to frequently travelled Sea Lanes of
Communication (SLOC) linking the Middle East and East Asia, makes Pakistan and India attractive for American generals preparing for the so-called "relocation plan", the report argues. But, according to the source, the Indian government has expressed its trepidation for talks on such an issue even before Washington's plan to initiate structured dialogue was put to
action.

The Pakistani government, however, had developed a perception that presence of American forces on four bases of Pakistan until last year could not reduce security threat posed by India; hence any decision to cooperate with the US would depend on the prevailing threat perception. After series of
very meaningful contacts with New Delhi and Kabul telling that no threat should be posed to Pakistan's border security and noting that ceasefire between India and Pakistan is in place, Washington is all set to negotiate with Pakistan the issue of getting new bases.

A high-level US team will visit Pakistan shortly to discus the issue of military bases. Such delegations will also undertake visits to several other Asian and European capitals after President Bush is briefed on Rumsfeld's discussions on the matter with his defence counterparts in the last week's
Nato meeting and Secretary of State Colin Powell's consultations with Nato foreign ministers in Brussels, the source said.

Presently, the main US military postings are in Germany, South Korea and Japan. The Pentagon has already told countries like Japan, South Korea and Germany on the possibility of moving some United States forces long based in those countries, the source said. "These troops will be transformed into highly-mobile forces before their repositioning around a larger number of new bases," the source said.

The initiative to establish a network of military bases in Asian countries has been described by the US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as a "readjustment to fit the 21st century". Under this readjustment plan, the movement of around 100,000 US troops in the Western Pacific, South Korea and Japan is under active consideration of the US defence authorities, the source said.

Nato member states are aware that the US acknowledges the key role played by four Pakistani air bases during the war in Afghanistan. Despite some operational activities having been shifted to the US built airbase outside Afghan city of Kandahar, Pakistan still continues providing support in the US-led war against terrorism. Newly obtained bases in the Central Asian nations of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are also being considered as important elements in the planning of the most substantial international readjustment
of the US troops since the end of World War II.

Pakistan is regarded by Nato allies as a country always willing to play a role in the war against terrorism. However, at one stage in 2002 when Pakistan faced a fresh spate of confrontation from India, Pakistan had to send a signal to Washington that in view of the fresh escalation the bases in Jacobabad and Pasni would be needed to put Pakistan Air Force in the high state of preparedness.

Even in the circumstances when the threat perception was indicated as very high, Pakistan had allowed the US to continue using the two other air bases - Dalbandin airfield, 170 miles southwest of Quetta and the smaller Shamsi airstrip. Dalbandin had been under the use of US special operations
helicopters flying to Afghanistan as forward refuelling base whereas Shamsi
airstrip was reportedly used for some highly specialised operations, the source indicated.