Basing in Bulgaria

Reuters/NY Times:

The United States signed an agreement on Friday to establish three military bases in Bulgaria as it shifts troops from old Cold War positions to smaller installations closer to the Middle East and Africa.

Under the deal, the U.S. will deploy 2,500 soldiers on short rotations to Bulgaria as it draws down tens of thousands of troops from Cold War bases in Europe and Asia.

``The agreement indeed will enhance our cooperation, allowing the shared use of Bulgarian training facilities and strengthening our ability to operate militarily,'' said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice after a signing ceremony on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Sofia.

Bulgaria, an ex-communist country of 7.7 million, has been eager to repay Washington for supporting its 2004 NATO membership. It has backed the U.S. in Iraq despite widespread public opposition to the war.

The 10-year agreement includes the Bezmer airfield and Novo Selo shooting range, both near Bulgaria's border with Turkey, and the Graf Ignatievo airfield in central Bulgaria.

U.S. forces will also have access to a storage facility near Bulgaria's port of Bourgas. The total number of soldiers may double for short periods during rotations every six months.

...

This looks like a good deal for both countries and is certainly convient to the middle east where most of the problems are. What will be interesting is the transition of the troops from the NATO command to Centcom and back.

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