Rating:

5.0 (1 vote)

WASHINGTON - Citing pending automatic budget cuts, the Pentagon says it'll reduce its presence in the Persian Gulf. Specifically, removing one of the two aircraft carriers.

Also, plans for the USS Harry S. Truman to deploy to the Gulf, later this week, have been canceled.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has been speaking out against the cuts, saying it'll "hollow out" the military. He's asking Congress to intervene.

The carrier decision is one of the most significant so far.