Planned US withdraw from Europe

[Duty Honor Country]

It seems the Pentagon wants to reduce the number of US troops in Europe by one half

READ ABOUT IT

What does everyone here think about it?

PM me on any opinion I missed!!!!

 

[Desert_Eagle]

My opinion is that we need to have a presence in Europe, just not in huge numbers. We need to be in countries that were in the former Soviet Union or in the Communist Bloc to keep order until the countries are stable.

 

[7.62]

I'm not saying a withdrwal of half of the troops would be bad, I'm saying a COMPLTETE withdrawl would be disastrous. Terrorists would more than likely strike, look at what they did in Spain. Look at what happened in the 20s and 30s with Germany after we pulled out.

 

[hicks]

I voted that we need to stay.

Having troops over there will allow for quick deployment if something goes down.

 

[Chocobo_Blitzer]

It's good I suppose, it's not like Europe can't handle itself- though seems well to use the position to deploy in emergency situations- like the first gulf war.

 

[Charge 7]

From the readings in the list Doody provided us it appears the pace is a good one. As long as we still have the refueling airbases and force staging posts we need I think all will be well. Soviet Russia isn't on Germany's doorstep anymore though Russia has taken a much harder line under Putin. Even so there is alot of land between them and the West if something were to make Russia become more worth guarding against.

Seems Rumsfeld is taking a long look at this. We'll know more on Friday when he makes his announcement.

 

[rkmac48]

If we withdrew from Europe completely, Muslim terrorists would light that place up. They'd be complete goners. Our withdrawal would be a total nightmare for Europe.

Which leads to an ethical decision. Personally, I'd love to see something like that happen; they hate the United States so much, but without us to bail them out, they wouldn't exist. On the other hand, we in the States have an obligation to keep the world safe and to stem the tide of terrorism.


So it's a mess. Maybe an increased threat of terrorism in Europe'll make them show us just a little more respect.

 

[MadeInChina]

let me remind you guys that european nations have armies of their own

the german army is pretty sophisicated, the french army is well funded with good equipment, teh british army is not far technologically from the american army, and various east european armies combined are a pretty powerful force

 

[zyonchaos]

If we withdrew from Europe completely, Muslim terrorists would light that place up. They'd be complete goners. Our withdrawal would be a total nightmare for Europe.

Which leads to an ethical decision. Personally, I'd love to see something like that happen; they hate the United States so much, but without us to bail them out, they wouldn't exist. On the other hand, we in the States have an obligation to keep the world safe and to stem the tide of terrorism.


So it's a mess. Maybe an increased threat of terrorism in Europe'll make them show us just a little more respect.

So apparently we are goners without the united states ok sure we are, and we also need the united states to bail us out or we would cease to exist really I like you rk your point of view is put across so brilliantly that it left me thinking, "what the hell were you trying to say"

Europe is not defenceless without the americans, and we don't hate all americans just the arrogant ones that seem to think that only they can save the world from terrorists I would like to remind you that americans were actually funding terrorists up until the planes hit the twin towers
IRA
Contra
Al Quaeda

But even after all that I like working with MOST americans just one or two get on my nerves so if mr Rumsfeld wants to pull those americans out of europe take them round the back of a shed and shoot them thats fine with me. But not reduce so much that we have no military infrastructure to work with

 

[Shadowalker]

If we withdrew from Europe completely, Muslim terrorists would light that place up. They'd be complete goners. Our withdrawal would be a total nightmare for Europe.

Which leads to an ethical decision. Personally, I'd love to see something like that happen; they hate the United States so much, but without us to bail them out, they wouldn't exist. On the other hand, we in the States have an obligation to keep the world safe and to stem the tide of terrorism.


So it's a mess. Maybe an increased threat of terrorism in Europe'll make them show us just a little more respect.

You know comments like this back up the view some people have in europe that US citizens know nothing about the rest of the world.
Europe has its own armies and its not armies its intelligence services that keep terrorists out of countries and the US does not have that much involvement in those intelligence services.
I hate to remind you that the founding fathers of the US were europeans, hence the close ties between europe and the US. And i dont know anybody with a severe hatred for america, they only thing they dont like is that americans still make comments as ignorant as the one you have made. The whole world appreciates that the US is leading the fight against terrorism, without the US we would not of been to afganistan.
Like zyon said, US citizens have been funding terrorists for decades seeing them as freedom fighters much like some muslims see al queda members as freedom fighters.

With regards to the topic, the withdrawl of US troops does have the negative effect of causing unemployment in the areas where the bases are as the local people who provide services will lose there jobs. But the bases are relics of the cold war and moving them to countries closer to the middle east/ asia would be beneficial and would create the jobs that they provided in western countries.

 

[A Can of Man]

If anything, moving out would be good to stop the b1tching. My ear is starting to hurt now.

 

[rkmac48]

Ahem, let me back up a sec and give a humble apology to our friends the Brits. I didn't mean that post as a slap to you guys, one bit.

Strangely, I never equate Great Britain with Europe. I'm not sure why, but in my mind the two don't connect; obviously they do, but I've always seen England as separate.

My apologies. I didn't mean to include England in the "Europe" statement. Feel free to attack me over an insult to the capabilities of the French and otherwise, but remember that I did not direct those comments towards Great Britian.

 

[Mohmar Deathstrike]

I'm not saying a withdrwal of half of the troops would be bad, I'm saying a COMPLTETE withdrawl would be disastrous. Terrorists would more than likely strike, look at what they did in Spain. Look at what happened in the 20s and 30s with Germany after we pulled out.

America NEVER had troops in Germany until WW2 and there are still U.S. bases in Spain. What did they do to stop the Madrid terrorist attacks?

 

[Mohmar Deathstrike]

All American troops must leave Europe immediately since European taxpayers are actually subsidizing their stay here, which is outrageous. Furthermore, the U.S. military is leasing the land their bases are built on for less than it's actually worth. There is no immediate security threat that European armed forces can't handle but Americans could. The only negative aspect this pullout would have for Europe would be rising unemployment in areas surrounding U.S. bases that employ indigenous civilians. This effect can be countered by transferring indigenous troops into these former U.S. bases.

 

[A Can of Man]

I too hold the UK at a different standard to continental Europe.

 

[CABAL]

There is a large presence of US troops in Germany. I take it that the US is using the country as large a Military Complex to station troops off-shore, which I feel very uncomfortable with.

 

[Doppleganger]

If we withdrew from Europe completely, Muslim terrorists would light that place up. They'd be complete goners. Our withdrawal would be a total nightmare for Europe.

Which leads to an ethical decision. Personally, I'd love to see something like that happen; they hate the United States so much, but without us to bail them out, they wouldn't exist. On the other hand, we in the States have an obligation to keep the world safe and to stem the tide of terrorism.


So it's a mess. Maybe an increased threat of terrorism in Europe'll make them show us just a little more respect.

Sorry, but what you said is total nonsense.

IMO there is no more pressing need for a large US troop presence in Europe, particularly Germany, now that the threat of Soviet invasion is a thing of the past.

 

[Shadowalker]

I dont understand why the US or britain needs troops in germany anymore, it doesnt pose a threat and the USSR is no longer sitting on our doorstep. I dont know why you hold the UK as seperate to Europe. France has a highly professional intelligence service and military, and so does germany, spain, italy etc. all who are used to fighting terrorists - eta, Red brigade etc.

 

[MontyB]

France has a highly professional intelligence service and military, and so does germany,

Hehe their intelligence service cant be that good as our police managed to catch them but they cant catch 51% of our own criminals.

all who are used to fighting terrorists - eta, Red brigade etc.

This is true though, Germany in particular seems very good at catching them.

 

[LIBERTY]

I believe the US needs to keep forces there to mantain peace. Indeed we've been there for a longtime but if we withdraw our forces theres no telling what will happen. Just like Iraq.