US to keep strong presence in Mideast
2012-12-11 22:35
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Kuwait City -The US military will retain a "strong
presence" in the Middle East despite a strategic shift to Asia, Defence
Secretary Leon Panetta said on Tuesday during a visit to Kuwait.
The US plans to deploy a majority of its naval fleet to
the Asia-Pacific along with other advanced weaponry but Panetta insisted that a
robust American force would remain in place in the Middle East.
Panetta spoke to journalists aboard his plane travelling
to Kuwait City on a two-day visit to discuss bolstering security ties amid
tumult in the region and tensions with Iran.
"Let me assure you that the United States is strong
enough that we can maintain a strong presence in the Middle East as well as in
the Pacific," he said.
He acknowledged that the US had to be
"flexible" in managing its forces in a more austere era and that it
would have only one aircraft carrier in the Middle East for about two months to
allow for maintenance work on another carrier, the USS Nimitz.
The American military still had nearly 50 000 troops and
warships positioned across the region, he said.
"But in the end, I am very confident that we're
going to be able to maintain the ships and forces we need in order to respond
to any contingency."
The US has deployed more ships and aircraft in the
strategic Gulf over the past year after Iran threatened to close the strategic
Strait of Hormuz if Western countries boycotted Iranian oil exports.
Kuwait's emir, Sheikh Sabah al Ahmad al Sabah, held talks
at his residence with Panetta in the presence of the crown prince, the prime
minister, defence minister and senior officials, the state-run Kuna news agency
reported.
Kuna provided no details about the talks.
During the visit, which ends on Wednesday, Panetta also
plans to meet some of the 13 500 US troops stationed in the Gulf state to thank
them for their service ahead of the Christmas holidays.
His visit is the first to the emirate by a Pentagon chief
in five years.
"We share a history of co-operation that goes back
to the first Gulf War," in 1991 that ousted Iraqi occupation forces,
Panetta said of Kuwait, calling the country an "important partner".
"I look forward to discussing with the government of
Kuwait how can we enhance that co-operation in the face of regional security
challenges in the area," he said.
"Our presence in Kuwait and throughout the Gulf
helps enhance the capabilities of partner nations, deters aggression and helps
ensure that we're better able to respond to crises in the region."
Panetta's visit coincides with a wave of protests in the
oil-rich Gulf state, with thousands of opposition demonstrators demanding fresh
elections due to a bitter dispute over amendments to the country's electoral
law.
Kuwaiti activists have called for protesters to camp
outside parliament next Saturday on the eve of its opening session.
