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Pentagon hires group supporting stronger Russia policy

The contract comes as the United States considers placing heavy military equipment near the Russian border.

By Ed Adamczyk
U.S. heavy armaments could soon be on their way to eastern Europe. The Pentagon has commissioned a study of future military alliances from a group advocating a stronger defense of eastern Europe. Photo courtesy of U.S. Army.
U.S. heavy armaments could soon be on their way to eastern Europe. The Pentagon has commissioned a study of future military alliances from a group advocating a stronger defense of eastern Europe. Photo courtesy of U.S. Army.

WASHINGTON, June 17 (UPI) -- The Pentagon has commissioned a study of future military alliances from a group advocating a stronger defense of easten Europe, at a time when placing heavy U.S. weaponry there is imminent.

On June 5 the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Net Assessment, an in-house Pentagon analysis team, commissioned the Washington-based non-profit analysis organization Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) to study "Gaming Allied: Geostrategic Change and Alliances." The announcement of the contract is referred to CEPA's mission as "a study on shifting dynamics in U.S. alliance networks in East Asia, the Middle East and Central and Eastern Europe."

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CEPA's prior studies have recommended bringing in defenses closer to the border with Russia, in defense of countries including Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, each a NATO member.

"While the post-Cold War West may have hoped that Russia might eventually become a supersized version of Poland, with liberal institutions and a de-militarized foreign policy, what we got instead was a latter-day version of Carthage — a sullen, punitive power determined to wage a vengeful foreign policy to overturn the system that it blames for the loss of its former greatness," CEPA chief A. Wess Mitchell wrote in March.

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The Pentagon's link with analysts, clearly promoting a more aggressive military policy on the part of the United States, comes as a plan to store weapons in central Europe for up to 5,000 troops is being discussed, American and allied officials confirmed. The weaponry includes battle tanks, infantry vehicles and other heavy armaments.

"This is a very meaningful shift in policy. It provides a reasonable level of reassurance to jittery allies, although nothing is as good as troops stationed full-time on the ground, of course," commented James G. Stavridis, former NATO supreme commander. While the amount of equipment is small compared to that of the Russian army, it would serve as an example of U.S. legitimacy in protecting its allies on the Russian border.

The proposed delivery of equipment would require the approval of the White House and the Department of Defense. Senior officials said they expect the authorization prior to a meeting of NATO defense ministers in July.

The concept of "prepositioned equipment" still is less than senior officials of Russia's neighbors have sought, namely a permanent assignment of US. troops to the region.

"We need the prepositioned equipment because if something happens, we'll need additional armaments, equipment and ammunition. If something happens, we can't wait days or weeks for more equipment," said Raimonds Vejonis, Latvia's defense minister and president-elect. "We need to react immediately."

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