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Scoop: @realDonaldTrump wants other countries to pay what the White House calls “Cost Plus 50” to host US troops: the full price, plus 50% extra for the privilege. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Potus has championed “Cost plus 50” for a while but aides realized he was serious when he scrawled the words on a note to Bolton last October, derailing negotiations with South Korea. With @JenniferJJacobs and @margarettalev
Potus only got an 8% increase then but term of troop deal with South Korea was shortened to a year, with expectations of a new fight to come. Next up: Japan and Germany. Those three countries account for the bulk of US troops overseas.
The most interesting thing I learned in reporting this was NSC has tasked Pentagon with developing two formulas: 1, how much should countries pay? And 2, what discount do they get if they meet US policy demands?
Debate over burden-sharing has been going on for years. But this approach exacerbates a rift, esp with Germany, where some in govt argue it should other way around: US ought to pay more, not less, to keep its 33,000 troops & facilities there.
Another element of this discussion: NSC pushing for broader blanket definition of what makes up deployment costs — to include soldier salaries, other benefits. Also may try to charge host countries when US carriers or subs make port visits, or mil aircraft do overflights.
