U.S. Troop Withdrawals—What Do They Mean?

President George W. Bush has announced significant U.S. troop withdrawals from Germany, Japan and South Korea. What's behind this development and what will it mean a few years from now?

by Melvin Rhodes

I first heard the news of U.S. troop withdrawals on Lufthansa, the German national airline. The plane was en route from Accra, Ghana, to Frankfurt, Germany, the country most affected by the announcement. After the plane had taken off, the airline showed the latest BBC world news, which I had not been able to watch while in Ghana.

I cannot say that I was surprised by the news. The United States has been showing all the signs of classic imperial overreach for some time. Prior to 9/11 the United States had massive troop commitments around the world, all maintained without a draft. Following the events of Sept. 11, two wars have only added to the burden—there are simply not enough troops to handle all the commitments and not enough money either.

A day after leaving Ghana, I visited Buckingham Palace, official home of Queen Elizabeth II in the heart of London. I had taken seven American young adults to Ghana with me to help with our annual United Church of God teen summer camp. All had requested a few days in London on the way home.

Amidst the splendor of the palace I reflected on Britain's past glory and, more specifically, on the country's rapid decline from imperial power. I was born shortly before the queen's reign began. At the time of her accession to the throne, Britain's military was more than four times what it is today. In 1952, the British Empire was largely intact. Britain had bases all over the globe—among the largest were Singapore and Malta, neither of which has a single British soldier on its soil today.

Throughout the 1960s British imperial power was in retreat. Britain was withdrawing its troops from different parts of the world and British power and influence was diminishing as the troops withdrew. Finally, towards the end of the '60s, Britain announced its withdrawal from "east of Suez"—all troops east of the Suez Canal were to be brought home.

Read the full article at www.wnponline.org/wnp/wnp0409/ustroop.htm

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