""The U.S. military will retain a "strong
presence" in the Middle East despite a strategic shift to Asia, Defense
Secretary Leon Panetta said Dec. 11 during a visit to Kuwait." "Panetta spoke to
reporters aboard his plane before arriving in Kuwait City 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."
"More than 13,500 U.S. forces serve in Kuwait, the secretary told
reporters traveling with him." "With nearly 50,000 U.S. troops in the region,
the United States is in a position to be able to respond to any contingency that
arises there, the secretary said. "Kuwait," he added, "plays a critical role in
our ability to do that.""
