U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta conducts a news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai after their meeting in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec 13, 2012. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
US Can Walk And Chew Gum At The Same Time -- Leon Panetta, Gulf News
Even as America rebalances towards the Asia-Pacific region, it will retain a significant presence in the Middle East to deter aggression and promote stability.
The US military has entered a period of historic change after more than a decade of war, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. America has ended the war in Iraq; it is implementing an effective transition and drawdown in Afghanistan; and it has seriously weakened Al Qaida’s leadership in the fight against terrorism.
As a result of these efforts and the reality of budget constraints, the US has developed a new defence strategy for the 21st century — one that emphasises agility, technology and force projection. The US has begun to focus on the challenges and opportunities of the future and it is clear that many of them lie in Asia.
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My Comment: The U.S. may not be abandoning the Middle East .... but they are certainly retrenching. And with massive defense budget cuts on the horizon .... I (and almost every pundit outside of the U.S.) just do not see the U.S. having the presence and influence that they use to have .... whether it is in the Middle East, Asia, or elsewhere.
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