US think tank's military plan alarms allies in Asia

A study by a US foreign policy think tank advocates a major US military pullback from the western Pacific, prompting "deep concern" among Washington's long-standing allies across the Indo-Pacific, analysts say. The report was authored by Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow and director of military analysis at the right-of-center Defense Priorities Foundation. Kavanagh calls for the US to "narrow its defense commitments in the region" by ending mutual defense alliances with South Korea , Japan , Australia and the Philippines . The priority for Washington, she states, is to defend the US homeland and safeguard access to key economic markets and trade routes.