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[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 103 Introduced in House (IH)]

105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 103

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United 
  States should maintain approximately 100,000 United States military 
personnel in the Asia and Pacific region until such time as there is a 
 peaceful and permanent resolution to the major security and political 
                        conflicts in the region.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 20, 1997

   Mr. Bereuter (for himself and Mr. Spence) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United 
  States should maintain approximately 100,000 United States military 
personnel in the Asia and Pacific region until such time as there is a 
 peaceful and permanent resolution to the major security and political 
                        conflicts in the region.

Whereas the stability of the Asia-Pacific region is a matter of vital national 
        interest affecting the well-being of all Americans;
Whereas the nations of the Pacific Rim collectively represent the United States 
        largest trading partner and are expected to account for almost one-third 
        of the world's economic activity by the start of the next century;
Whereas the increased reliance by the United States on trade and Middle East oil 
        sources has reinforced United States security interests in the Southeast 
        Asia shipping lanes through the South China Sea and the key straits of 
        Malacca, Sunda, Lombok, and Makassar;
Whereas the South China Sea is a vital conduit for United States Navy ships 
        passing from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf;
Whereas maintaining freedom of navigation in the South China Sea is a 
        fundamental interest of the United States;
Whereas the threats of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the 
        emerging nationalism amidst long-standing ethnic and national rivalries, 
        and the unresolved territorial disputes combine to create a political 
        landscape of potential instability and conflict that would jeopardize 
        the interests of the United States and the safety of United States 
        nationals in this region;
Whereas a critical component of the East Asia strategy of the United States is 
        maintaining forward deployed forces in Asia to ensure broad regional 
        stability, to help to deter aggression, and to contribute to the 
        political and economic advances of the region from which the United 
        States benefits;
Whereas the forward presence of the United States in Northeast Asia enables the 
        United States to respond to regional contingencies, to protect sea lines 
        of communication, to sustain influence, and to support operations as 
        distant as operations in the Persian Gulf;
Whereas the military forces of the United States serve to prevent the political 
        or economic control of the Asia-Pacific region by a rival, hostile power 
        or coalition of such powers, thus preventing any such group from having 
        command over the vast resources, enormous wealth, and advanced 
        technology of the region;
Whereas allies of the United States in the region can base their defense 
        planning on a reliable American security commitment, a reduction of 
        which could stimulate an arms buildup in the region;
Whereas the Joint Announcement of the United States-Japan Security Consultative 
        Committee of December 1996, acknowledged that ``the forward presence of 
        U.S. forces continues to be an essential element for pursuing our common 
        security objectives'';
Whereas the administration has committed itself on numerous occasions to 
        maintain approximately 100,000 troops in the region, most recently by 
        the President in Australia and the Secretary of State in the Republic of 
        Korea;
Whereas the United States and Japan signed the United States-Japan Security 
        Declaration in April 1996, in which the United States reaffirmed its 
        commitment to maintain this level of 100,000 United States military 
        personnel in the region;
Whereas the United States military presence is warmly and widely welcomed by the 
        nations of the region as serving stability and signaling United States 
        engagement;
Whereas the nations of East Asia and the Pacific consider the commitment of the 
        forces of the United States to be so vital to their future that they 
        scrutinize actions of the United States for any sign of weakened 
        commitment to the security of the region;
Whereas the reduction of forward-based military forces could negatively affect 
        the ability of the United States to contribute to the peace and 
        stability of the Asia and Pacific region;
Whereas reduction in the number of forward-based troops reduces the perception 
        of American capability and commitment in the region that cannot be 
        completely offset by modernization of the remaining forces;
Whereas during time of crisis, redeployment of forces previously removed from 
        the area might itself be deemed an act of provocation that could be used 
        as a pretext by a hostile power for armed aggression within the region, 
        and the existence of that possibility might hinder this redeployment; 
        and
Whereas proposals to reduce the forward presence of the United States in Asia or 
        drastically subordinate security interests to United States domestic 
        budgetary concerns immediately erode the perception of the commitment of 
        the United States to its alliances and interests in the region: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the United States should maintain approximately 100,000 United States 
military personnel in the Asia and Pacific region until such time as 
there is a peaceful and permanent resolution to the major security and 
political conflicts in the region.
                                 <all>
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