Obama to Post Marines in Australia

With an eye on China, the U.S. will expand its presence in the Pacific.


By Greg Howard | Posted Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011, at 4:28 PM ET
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130001511 U.S. Marines take position during an amphibious landing simulation

Photograph by Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images

The Marines are going Down Under.

President Obama announced plans on Wednesday to permanently base U.S. soldiers in Australia in order to establish a stronger military presence in the Asia-Pacific region, Reuters reports.

Starting in the summer 2012, the U.S. will begin sending 250 Marines on six-month tours to existing military bases in Australia and eventually ramp up the number of troops stationed there to 2,500.

"We are here to stay," Obama said at a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Julia Giliard. "This is a region of huge strategic importance to us."

The Washington Post reports that Obama considers the move a "key step in his administration’s evolving emphasis" on the region. China, of course, has a different take. Chinese officials are concerned that the United States is boxing it in, as it already has military bases in Japan and South Korea.

Xinhua, China’s state news agency, reacted to the plan, like so: "China has always opposed any move to complicate the disputes with involvement of external forces, insisting bilateral dialogue is the best option." The news service added that the United States "should appreciate the constructive role it is expected to play in the area."

Looks like they are getting ready for something BIG................