Kerry to attack Bush troop withdrawal plan

[rawstory]

As found on The Raw Story, http://rawstory.com

By Carol Giacomo

CINCINNATI (Reuters) - Democrat John Kerry on Wednesday planned to attack President Bush's proposal to withdraw 70,000 American troops from Europe and Asia as a threat to national security that could blunt the war on terror, campaign aides said.

The Democratic presidential nominee also will say the military realignment plan sent the wrong message to countries like North Korea, where the United States has been working to deter Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programs, the aides said on condition of anonymity.

Kerry will make the remarks in a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Ohio -- a political battleground in the Nov. 2 presidential election. Bush addressed the same group on Monday, when he announced plans to move the 70,000 troops in a shift of focus from Cold War enemies Russia and China.

Bush said the pullback would create a more flexible military, improve the lives of military and better position the United States to fight emerging threats. The plan, to be implemented over 10 years, would not affect the 125,000 U.S. troops now deployed in Iraq.

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