Polish media reporting that President Obama will be announcing a deal made with the Polish government that will allow a permanent U.S. base on Poland’s territory.
The new U.S. air base, at Lask air field, would replace the Aviano air base in Italy. The USAF has F-16s based on Aviano, and they might be transferred to Poland in 2013.
Russian officials say they will counter the U.S. move to Poland.
If you were Russia, and your rival makes several deals with eastern European countries for “missile shields”, and, now they’re going to move an air base from Italy to Poland, wouldn’t you think your rival is positioning itself to attack you?
In an unprecedented move, the United States has agreed, in principal, to put U.S. forces under the direct command of South Korea. Details are still being worked out.
Officially the move is to help South Korea in case of attack by North Korea. But isn’t that why our troops are there to begin with? Why do they have to be placed under direct control of the South Koreans? Never in United States history has another country controlled our military forces! Even the Russians didn’t do that after the fall of the Soviet Union. Is it another sign of the decline of the U.S. Empire?
While it was not a bill itself, the defense funding bill failed to get the required 60 votes to pass Tuesday. Although it had majority support, many senators voted against the bill because it had too many amendments.
“…I cannot vote to proceed to this bill under a situation that is going to shut down the debate and preclude Republican amendments,” Senator Susan Collins (ME – R.), a supporter of repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Collins was the only Republican to vote to put the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in the defense bill.
More than 3/4th’s of Americans support the repeal, even Senator John McCain’s (AZ – R.) wife and daughter support it. One of the more popular supporters is Lady Gaga, who rallied in Maine on Monday in an attempt to get the two senators to vote for the defense bill.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV – D.) wants to push a bill that repeals the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ rule put in place by the Pentagon in 1993. This rule bans gays from openly serving in the U.S. military.
This repeal is attached to the $726 billion defense bill, which is set to be on the floor in the Senate next week (has passed in the House). In order for this move to go through, it would need 60 votes and support from at least one Republican senator. Of course, the bill still has a veto threat looming in its horizon.
The Department of Defense is going to study what the effects of this bill would be in practice, due by December 1. Many want to see this study first before taking action on ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’, including Senator John McCain (AZ – R.)
