U.S. Military Machine Moves Into Bulgaria and Romania To Stage ME Attacks

[bigtree]

U.S. lays groundwork in Eastern Europe

By John Diamond, USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-07-17-eastern-europe-pentagon-plan_x.htm

CONSTANTA, Romania — The U.S. Army is conducting joint military exercises this month in Bulgaria and Romania as a key test of Pentagon plans to develop Eastern European bases as staging areas for fighting in the Middle East.

Beginning Tuesday, 1,500 U.S. troops, some of them bound for Iraq, will join 400 Romanian soldiers in urban warfare training. The port and military air base at Constanta on the Black Sea also are part of the exercise, just as they are expected to play a role in future U.S. deployments.

In neighboring Bulgaria to the south, 700 U.S. and Bulgarian troops are conducting armored warfare training.

Both nations, once part of the Soviet Union's bloc of Cold War military allies and now recent additions to the NATO alliance, are negotiating with the Pentagon over permanent U.S. basing rights, said Romania's president and Bulgaria's ambassador to the United States.

Marine Gen. James Jones, the U.S. military commander in Europe, called the joint exercises and potential bases part of an "eastward shift in the center of gravity" for U.S. military policy. They're part of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's plan to shift troops closer to potential trouble spots in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa.

[naturalselection]

1. Not surprised.

As this is part of the PNAC agenda.

[Just Me]

2. Will they be obstructed before they trigger a world war?

:shrug: I hope so. For the sake of our country and world stability, I really REALLY hope so.

The indictments need to be issued ASAP.

[seemslikeadream]

3. Please Mr. Fitzergerald

Could you wrap this up, it's only the world that is depending on you.

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. I am sure he's feeling the pressure. I know I would be.

[YOY]

4. Both are in need of foreign aid and investment both countries

to get to the EU level. They are willing to go just about anywhere the money goes.

Zhalko e za Bulgaria...

[bigtree]

5. Monied interests backed by our military

It's what's defined U.S. imperialism for decades.

[YOY]

8. Thats what defines imperialism period

We may be guilty of it here...but we're hardly the sole perpetrators and hardly the inventors.

[Oreo]

7. Map of region

Right on the Black Sea... I'm sure Russia/Ukraine will enjoy this move.

[YOY]

9. Te li? Malko poveche informatsia (A bit more 411)

Bulgaria was the USSRs nasty little brother for several years. Russia still holds strong ties to the region. Partially politically, culturally, and enough underworld interests to keep things interesting.

The two primary parties in Bulgaria fall this way....and this is by no means a comparison of our own system.

CDC: Blues (new reformers)
BCP: Red (old socialists)

Consider it "balkanization part II"

[bigtree]

10. They've already positioned their troops within sight of ours