Lawmakers in Congress rejected Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s announcement Wednesday that the United States will withdraw 12,000 US troops from Germany’s former ally.
In a move encouraged by President Trump, who has repeatedly said that the NATO member is “criminal” in his defense bills, Esper said it was time to “reposition” US forces in Europe.
Esper stressed that politics is a measure “that will strengthen NATO, [and] improve Russia’s deterrence. “
“As anyone can see, the repositioning of our forces in Europe constitutes a major strategic and positive change, fully in line with the NDS, and consistent with other adjustments that the United States has made within NATO in earlier times,” Esper said.
WE ANNOUNCED PLANS TO WITHDRAW 12,000 TROOPS FROM GERMANY, WITH A HALF-RETURN HOME
Esper’s comments differed from the president on the reasoning behind the policy change.
“We are reducing the force because they are not paying their bills. It’s very simple, “Trump told reporters on Wednesday.” They are criminals. “
Still, this is a mischaracterization of the way NATO allies contribute to defense spending, critics say.
NATO nations have promised that by 2024 they will dedicate two percent of their gross domestic product to defense, and in 2019 Germany presented one and a half percent, although they still have four more years to fulfill the commitment.
Defense spending figures for 2019 show that only eight of the 30 NATO members have reached the two percent threshold, a figure agreed by NATO nations in 2006.
Both Republican and Democratic members of Congress express their frustrations about military change, calling it costly and irresponsible.
GERMANY ARISES AS A KEY TARGET FOR RUSSIA, INTERFERENCE IN CHINA, REPORT WARNS
“American troops are not stationed around the world as traffic police or welfare workers; they are restricting the expansive targets of the world’s worst regimes, primarily China and Russia,” said Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Republican. said Wednesday
“The president’s lack of strategic understanding of this issue increases our response time and hinders the important deterrent work that our military and women are doing.”
Epser said the cost of repositioning thousands of military and women, along with their families, will be in the single-digit range of $ 1 billion.
“Maintaining advance presence is cheaper for our taxpayers and safer for our troops,” said Sasse. “President Xi and Vladimir Putin are reckless, and this withdrawal will only embolden them.”
“We should lead our allies against China and Russia, not abandon them. The withdrawal is weak, “he added.
The Pentagon has argued that the measure allows more troops to station in Poland, a strategy that puts troops closer to Russia and a measure that Warsaw has long sought.
“While some of the proposed movements clearly have merit, other aspects, such as an arbitrary limit to the number of troops stationed in certain countries, remain problematic,” said Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, a senior member of the Armed Services. of the House of Representatives. Committee. “It is essential that we consult closely with our NATO allies on any changes.”
Although Esper said Congress had been notified and that any future action would be in coordination with Congress, President of the Armed Services of the House of Representatives Adam Smith, D-Wash., Said that lawmakers were not notified. until after the fact.
“This plan was not drafted in consultation with allies of the United States or with the military services, but all parties, including Congress, were notified after decisions had already been made,” Smith said Wednesday.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Senator Jack Reed, a Democrat from Washington, chased Esper saying it is his job to stand up to the president to protect security interests.
“This is the type of movement that Secretary Mattis has been able to cope with in the past, but this administration appears to be unraveling under the strain of the pandemic,” he said.
About 4,500 service members will return to the U.S., while the remaining 5,600 members will be scattered across Europe in the UK, Italy, Belgium, Poland, and the Black Sea region.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
