US eyes bases in Romania

Top American general briefed about Black Sea military facilities

By Alexandru Alexe - The Associated Press

BUCHAREST - Gen. James Jones, the top commander of US and NATO forces in Europe, was briefed yesterday about Black Sea military facilities Romania hopes will be used as locations for US bases after heavy fog prevented him flying to the area to see for himself.

Jones, who is accompanied by US military experts, was scheduled to inspect two facilities that could host American troops, but the tour was canceled due to dense fog along the Black Sea coastline and inland that made landing impossible.

Jones would have inspected the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base near the Black Sea port of Constanta, which already was used by US troops during the war against Iraq.

As many as 3,500 US troops were stationed there in February and March 2003 to prepare for the start of the war; US army paratroopers based in Italy used Constanta as a staging base for their airlift into northern Iraq in the opening days of the war. It also was used as an air transport hub by the air force during the Afghanistan war. No US troops are based here now.

Jones was also going to visit one of Romania’s most important training ranges in the eastern town of Babadag. Instead, he had a detailed briefing at the Defense Ministry in the capital, defense officials said.

US diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that there was no word on whether the United States would set up bases in Romania.

On Wednesday, Jones also toured several facilities in neighboring Bulgaria and said he would propose to the US Congress four or five Bulgarian military facilities for use by US forces.

After arriving in Romania, Jones met with President Traian Basescu to discuss Romania’s offer to host US bases. The Pentagon is interested in several locations in Romania, which include an air base, an adjacent army station and nearby training ranges.

Last year, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visited the facilities and heard the Romanians’ pitch, but no deal has been struck yet. Jones said Congress will have the final say in the matter.