Washington, Aug 17, SPA -- U.S. President George W. Bush announced yesterday the withdrawal of approximately 70,000 troops from Europe and Asia in a major realignment of the U.S. military presence to better fight the war on terrorism. Speaking in Ohio to the national convention of Veterans of Foreign Wars, the president said, "The world has changed a great deal and our posture must change with it - for the sake of our military families, for the sake of our taxpayers, and so we can be more effective at projecting our strength and spreading freedom and peace." "We will move some of our troops and capabilities to new locations so they can surge quickly to deal with unexpected threats. We will take advantage of 21st century military technologies to rapidly deploy increased combat power," Bush stated. "The new plan will help us fight and win these wars of the 21st century." --MORE1037 Local Time 0737 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/192587