WASHINGTON – The United States military will reinforce deployments and bases directed at China and Russia, even while maintaining forces in the Middle East adequate to deter Iran and jihadist groups, the Pentagon said yesterday based on the results of a review.
The US Defence Department will be upgrading and expanding military facilities in Guam and Australia, underscoring its focus on China as the country’s leading defence rival, officials said.
The details of the “global posture review”, commissioned at the start of the administration of President Joe Biden early this year, would remain classified, the officials said, so as not to give secrets away to rivals or to reveal confidential plans with allies.
However, the review confirmed that the priority region for the US military was the Indo-Pacific, said Mara Karlin, a top Pentagon policy official.
The review “directs additional cooperation with allies and partners across the region to advance initiatives that contribute to regional stability and deter potential military aggression from China and threats from North Korea”, she told reporters.
In addition, it “strengthens the combat-credible deterrent against Russian aggression in Europe and enables Nato forces to operate more effectively”, she said.
The Middle East, on the other hand, remains an area of flux for the Pentagon after the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“We have global responsibilities and must ensure the readiness and modernisation of our forces,” Karlin said.
“These considerations require us to make continuous changes to our Middle East posture, but we always have the capability to rapidly deploy forces to the region based on the threat environment.”
Speaking separately, a senior Pentagon official who declined to be identified downplayed any idea of radical shifts.
“The first year of an administration is not the time when we would develop a major strategic-level change to our posture,” the official said. – AFP, November 30, 2021
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