US Reassures Europe On Defense Cuts

(Wall Street Journal) - The Obama administration sought to reassure anxious European allies Saturday that budget cuts will not undercut the country's commitment to their security.

The Pentagon announced plans last month to cut the permanent US force in Europe to two brigades, down from four, as part of efforts to trim its budget over the next 10 years and to refocus its attention on Asia and the Middle East.

"We made this decision only after ensuring that our force posture adjustments will not weaken our ability to meet our commitment to the security of Europe," US defense secretary Leon Panetta told a security conference in Munich, Germany.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in a rare joint appearance in Europe with Panetta, brushed aside "some of the doubts" expressed in European capitals about Washington's continued commitment to the continent, saying the US still sees Europe as its "partner of first resort."

The Pentagon will still keep two brigades garrisoned in Europe. To supplement this permanent presence, Panetta said the US military will "rotate" other battalions in and out of Europe on short-term assignments for periodic exercises and training.

"Our military footprint in Europe will remain larger than in any other region in the world," Panetta said.

To bolster European defenses, Panetta said, the US would move forward with planned missile defense deployments, establish an aviation detachment in Poland, and boost special forces in the region.

The US also will make a troop contribution to NATO's rapid response force and rotate a battalion-sized military task force to Germany for exercises and training. While the US has long endorsed the NATO response force, it balked at making a tangible troop contribution, citing the demands of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Not only will this open up new opportunities for US troops to train and exercise with our European counterparts, it will ensure NATO has the capability to conduct expeditionary operations in defense of our common interests," Panetta said.

The US currently has three brigades in Germany and one stationed in Italy. At any given time over the past decade, however, two of those units have been deployed overseas, to Afghanistan or Iraq.

Under Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the US had plans to cut the number of forces in Europe to two brigades. But his successor, Robert Gates, delayed that plan.

However, President Barack Obama's decision to cut about $487 billion from the defense budget over the next 10 years prompted Pentagon officials to revive the old plans.

Read more: Wall Street Journal