Wolfowitz to visit S'pore, RP

Wolfowitz to visit S'pore, RP

UNITED STATES: The deputy defense secretary of the United States, Paul Wolfowitz, will visit Singapore and the Philippines beginning this week to discuss the war on terrorism with regional leaders and meet American troops, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

Wolfowitz, the nation's number two civilian defense official, will attend and speak at an Asian security conference sponsored by the International Institute of Strategic Studies in Singapore on June 1 and June 2.

Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said Wolfowitz would stop in the Philippines en route home to visit with U.S. troops there. She did not elaborate, but said Wolfowitz would return to Washington on June 4.

Wolfowitz, a former U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, is considered to be an expert on Asia-Pacific affairs and has maintained a strong interest in the region while serving as a senior official in both the state and defense departments. --Reuters