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From: cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Diego Garcia
Message-ID: <1990Aug17.023620.1119@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 17 Aug 90 02:36:20 GMT
References: <1990Aug15.032056.25897@cbnews.att.com>
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From: cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold)
>From article <1990Aug15.032056.25897@cbnews.att.com>, by uw-beaver!mcgp1!flak (Dan Flak):
> 
> 
> It would be interesting to speculate if we could support this type
> of mission without either Diego Garcia or Clark Airbase (or
> both!).
> -- 

During the past couple of years, when the Phillipine Govt. has threatened
to toss the US out of our bases, there have been serious offers from
other Pacific Rim countries to provide basing.  Most notable is Singapore;
they have made very serious offers to allow extensive bases which would
be the equivalent of Subic and Clark.

The interesting part of this is that the Pacific Rim countries are 
motivated by the fear of Japan re-establishing the "Greater East
Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" if the US withdraws from its bases in
the Phillipines. It is even possible that Viet Nam would entertain
re-opening Cam Ranh to US forces if the Russians withdraw - same
motivation.  I suppose it is similar to the apprehension felt by
the French and the British  (and Russians) to German re-unification;
the Pacific countries have memories of Japanese aggression.

So we probably could secure suitable harbors and airfields other than
the Phillipines if necessary.  However, without any presence at all,
the supply problem would be most severe going westward.

Pat Kauffold AT&T Bell Labs Naperville IL (708) 713-4726