Thread: Obama to Post Marines in Australia

Obama to Post Marines in Australia

With an eye on China, the U.S. will expand its presence in the Pacific.
By Greg Howard| Posted Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011, at 4:28 PM E

President Obama announced plans on Wednesday to permanently base U.S. soldiers in Australia in order to establish a stronger military presence in the Asia-Pacific region, Reuters reports.



Starting in the summer 2012, the U.S. will begin sending 250 Marines on six-month tours to existing military bases in Australia and eventually ramp up the number of troops stationed there to 2,500.




"We are here to stay," Obama said at a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Julia Giliard. "This is a region of huge strategic importance to us."



The Washington Post reports that Obama considers the move a "key step in his administration’s evolving emphasis" on the region. China, of course, has a different take. Chinese officials are concerned that the United States is boxing it in, as it already has military bases in Japan and South Korea.



Xinhua, China’s state news agency, reacted to the plan, like so: "China has always opposed any move to complicate the disputes with involvement of external forces, insisting bilateral dialogue is the best option." The news service added that the United States "should appreciate the constructive role it is expected to play in the area."


http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2011/11/ ... ummer.html

U.S. troops headed to Australia, irking China



By David Nakamura, Updated: Wednesday, November 16, 4:23 PM




CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA — The Obama administration announced plans Wednesday to establish a permanent military presence in Australia, part of the president’s high-profile foreign policy shift toward Asia that is intended as a counterbalance to China’s growing power.

The move to send 250 Marines to bases here for six-month tours starting next summer, eventually rotating 2,500 troops through the country, is the first step toward the administration’s larger goal of repositioning the United States as a leader on both economics and security in the fast-developing Asia Pacific. The pivot appears to be aimed at rethinking Washington’s global commitments at a time when the White House is attempting to draw down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and when budget cuts threaten to curtail defense spending.

Underscoring growing concern over an aggressive China, President Obama announced a new agreement Wednesday to expand the U.S. military presence in Australia. (Nov. 16)

Though the number of U.S. troops is small — and they will be housed at Australian facilities, not separate American bases — the announcement was met with skepticism in Beijing. Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin questioned whether strengthening and expanding the military alliance “is in line with the common interestâ€