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US to Shift Defense Emphasis From Europe to Asia
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld met privately with leaders of Congressional defense and spending committees Thursday to discuss initial conclusions from the Pentagon's American military strategy review ordered by President George W. Bush.
Rumsfeld is nearing completion on the strategy review that would shift emphasis from Europe toward emerging threats in Asia, defense officials said.
The review, which will determine whether the military continues an expensive and taxing readiness to fight two wars at once, cites the evolution of better missiles and high-tech arms by potential adversaries, according to the defense officials, who asked not to be identified.
They stressed that Washington must develop missile defenses and should rely less on bases in Asia and more on long-range weapons such as stealth bombers, unmanned aircraft and a Navy on the high seas with stand-off weaponry.
Rumsfeld has sent a copy of the confidential review's preliminary conclusions to senior U.S. military leaders worldwide, and the New York Times reported Thursday that it had prompted some skepticism from the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific and Asia.
The strategy study, part of several Pentagon reviews on issues ranging from what new weapons to develop to U.S. military housing and pay, is aimed at preparing the world's only superpower for military deterrence and combat in the 21st century.
The study is being headed by Andrew Marshall, a 79-year-old longtime civilian analyst at the Pentagon and close adviser to Rumsfeld. Marshall is known to favor a major overhaul of the U.S. military, emphasizing high-tech weaponry.
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