Clinton Draft Base Closure List Spares Dole’s State
The Clinton Administration’s draft base closure list spares Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole’s home-state Army base while making less dramatic cuts than were expected a year ago, military officials said Friday.
Defense officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Ft. Riley, Kan., was spared from the closure list that Defense Secretary William J. Perry is expected to make public Tuesday.
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in New Hampshire, site of the first presidential primary election a year from now, is also absent from the list.
The two biggest targets for closure in California are the Oakland Army Base and the Navy’s shipyard at Long Beach.
Perry could make changes in the list between now and Tuesday but said last week he did not expect to do so. The New York Times reported the key recommendations in today’s editions. Defense officials contacted by the Associated Press confirmed the reported list.
Pentagon spokesman Dennis Boxx cautioned that any reporting of base closure recommendations before Tuesday is speculative.
“This list has not been approved by Dr. Perry,” Boxx said. “Until Dr. Perry approves the final list, there is no list.”
Among the recommendations on the list sent to Perry are closing the Army’s Ft. Hamilton in New York City and Ft. McClellan in Alabama.
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