U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper suggested on Thursday he could be ready to sta...
MIAMI - U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper suggested on Thursday he could be ready to start a highly anticipated global force repositioning this year as part of an effort to refocus the Pentagon on challenges from China and Russia.
“If I had to put an end-date , I want to make sure we are in some type of better posture by the beginning of the next fiscal year,” Esper told reporters, referring to the government’s calendar year for spending, which begins on Oct. 1. “So I want to move fairly quickly.” Still, at a time of heightened tension with Iran and Iran-backed groups, it’s unclear how big of a shift can be expected, particularly in an election year.
A significant reduction in U.S. forces dedicated to U.S. Southern Command could be felt quickly. U.S. deployments to Latin America for activities like training are often measured in the dozens, instead of the thousands that can move in and out of the Middle East. Chinese naval port calls have increased 70 percent in the past five years in the region, and Beijing is ramping up weapons sales, infrastructure investment and trade with Latin American countries, according to U.S. military data.
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