Strategic planners at the Pentagon worried about how well the Army could respond if it had to dispatch troops unexpectedly to a conflict elsewhere in the world.

NEWYORKER: The General��s Dilemma

The Qingdao review did include an interesting addition to China's fleet, a Yuzhao-class amphibious-assault ship, which could be used to dispatch troops and helicopters over long distances.

ECONOMIST: China flaunts its naval muscle

But public opinion is still against a Japanese presence in Iraq with a recent telephone opinion poll finding only 9 percent supporting the government's plan to dispatch troops to the region.

CNN: Japan: Diplomats shot in vehicles

Now, the Lebanese government's making a fresh move to secure peace -an offer to dispatch 15, 000 army troops to South Lebanon, along with U.N. sponsored forces, so long as Israeli forces withdraw.

NPR: Lebanon Hosts U.S. Diplomat for Conflict Talks

Mali's West African neighbors have pledged to dispatch 3, 300 troops into the country to help it retake its north.

WSJ: U.S. Ties Libya Attack to 'Powder Keg' in Mali

Rather than dispatch troops to a war-zone, and have little but casualties to show for it afterwards, the Clinton administration decided instead to try to make peace in Bosnia and then to send in troops to enforce it.

ECONOMIST: Peace-making in Bosnia

It agreed to the dispatch of 24 Apache attack helicopters to neighbouring Albania, along with a contingent of 2, 000 support troops.

ECONOMIST: Troops or no troops?