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14 October 2003 |
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Washington, Oct. 14. (PTI): To cope up with NATO's increased "interest" in West Asia, the US might reduce its forces in the Western Europe and send them to the trouble-hit region. "The Alliance's centre of gravity is in Europe, but its centre of activity is clearly shifting. The geo-strategic centre of interest for the alliance is in the Greater Middle East," NATO's supreme commander, General James Jones, has said. "The 'footprint' of US forces in the European Command's area of operations goes hand in hand with NATO's transformation," he said. In addition, threats are emerging from the southern region of the US European Command - the southern rim of the Mediterranean and sub-Saharan Africa. There are "large, ungoverned areas which are potential havens for the terrorists and the future merchants of all kinds of things that we are trying to battle with," he said. As a result, he said, the US may have fewer forces in future in Western Europe, but more in Greater Middle East and Eastern and Central Europe.
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