The Pentagon will reveal a list of US bases recommended for closure as part of a plan to save billions of dollars per year later on Friday. The proposed changes are expected to save the US $48bn over 20 years, BBC reported. However, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Thursday there would be fewer large domestic bases closed than originally envisaged. The Pentagon says the closure of domestic bases will in part be offset by the return of troops from abroad. "The department is recommending fewer major base closures than had earlier been anticipated, due in part to the return of tens of thousands of troops (from overseas bases) through our global posture review," Rumsfeld said. US President George W Bush announced a major shake-up of American forces around the world last year. Up to 70,000 troops currently in Europe and Asia are to be redeployed, with half of the hundreds of US installations in Europe to be cut or closed.
