U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta smiles during a gathering of U.S. and Japanese forces at Yokota Air Base on the outskirts of Tokyo October 24, 2011. Panetta, a former CIA director, ruled out troop cuts in Asia as part of U.S. belt-tightening as he arrived in Japan on Monday, flagging concerns about a "reckless" North Korea and Chinese military assertiveness. REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao (JAPAN - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY)