Pentagon: Few changes to US overseas military ‘footprint’
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon has decided no immediate major changes are needed in the global positioning of U.S. forces, although it will further analyze force needs in the Middle East and make refinements in Asia and the Pacific, officials said Monday.
The outcome of the study, which began in March at Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s direction, reflects a complex security picture facing the Biden administration, which fully withdrew from Afghanistan in August but is increasingly concerned about countering China in the Asia-pacific region and Russia in Europe. Iran presents a further challenge, including in Iraq and Syria, which makes it hard to allocate more forces to other parts of the world.