US in no rush to open military bases

The possibility of establishing American military bases in Romania and the presence of the Romanian troops in Iraq were two items on the agenda in talks between the Pentagon chief, Donald Rumsfeld, and authorities in Bucharest. Rumsfeld arrived in Romania on Monday. He attended the informal meeting of the Defence Ministers of the NATO member countries, held in Poiana Brasov yesterday. On Monday, Rumsfeld said the US was currently relocating its military bases throughout the world, but the process would take some 4 to 6 years. He was therefore unable to specify when an American military base would be established in Romania. The US has announced plans to relocate bases in Europe and is looking closely at locations closer to conflict areas in the East. ZF