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South Korea wants US to keep control over combined wartime defence forces
Guardian ^ | 10/08/2013 | Craig Whitlock

Posted on 10/29/2013 7:30:54 PM PDT by TexGrill

Sixty years after the end of the Korean war, the United States and South Korea still can't agree on who should take charge if another war breaks out with the communist neighbour to the north.

For years, Washington has been trying to persuade the South Korean military to take operational control of its own forces in wartime, ending a six-decade arrangement during which US commanders have retained that authority over South Korean troops. Although supportive in principle, a succession of governments in Seoul has repeatedly delayed the command transfer, reinforcing doubts about whether the South Korean military is capable of operating without US leadership.

Previous deals that would have transferred wartime command of South Korean troops to Seoul in 2009 and 2012 fell by the wayside. Now the latest timetable – to transfer control to the South Korean military by December 2015 – has become infected with doubt as South Korean leaders have expressed anxieties again about their ability to command their troops in the face of threats from an increasingly unpredictable North Korea.

South Korean officials began a public campaign this summer to request another delay beyond 2015 but haven't specified a new date. US officials have not agreed to any changes so far. Some have said they are becoming frustrated with South Korea's reluctance to take charge of its own defence.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; Military/Veterans; Society
KEYWORDS: southkoreaeconomy
Global business tip
1 posted on 10/29/2013 7:30:54 PM PDT by TexGrill
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To: TexGrill

They’re big boys. Let them handle the North Koreans on their own.


2 posted on 10/29/2013 7:46:46 PM PDT by Redcitizen (.)
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To: Redcitizen

My cuz’ is stationed at Red Cloud. He tells me they are not there to defend those ungrateful Koreans but to checkmate China and get back at the commies. Same as Japan, Guam etc.


3 posted on 10/29/2013 8:11:40 PM PDT by max americana (fired liberals in our company last election, and I laughed while they cried (true story))
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To: max americana

TRIP WIRE


4 posted on 10/29/2013 8:18:03 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
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To: DIRTYSECRET

I’ve said it time and time again: DMZ, mine the effing border and see the illegals numbers drop.


5 posted on 10/29/2013 8:22:10 PM PDT by max americana (fired liberals in our company last election, and I laughed while they cried (true story))
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To: max americana

I’ve spent a total of 4 years on Japan (Okinawa). I’ve been to Korea 3 times for exercises. I can’ for the life of me figure out why the Japanese, who we nuked and our invasion of Okinawa result in a quarter to a third of the population to be killed, are so nice and friendly to us but yet the S. Koreans, who’s butts we saved, are such a$$holes toward us.


6 posted on 10/29/2013 8:48:43 PM PDT by BBell (The Blue Dog is Stupid)
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To: BBell
S. Koreans, who’s butts we saved, are such a$$holes toward us.

It's not personal. Koreans are just ornery.

7 posted on 10/29/2013 9:19:30 PM PDT by Zhang Fei (Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always.)
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To: Zhang Fei

They are an angry people.


8 posted on 10/29/2013 9:21:33 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
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To: BBell

” yet the S. Koreans, who’s butts we saved, are such a$$holes toward us.”

Ask any GI on the DMZ and they’ll laugh at your face when the “outside” objective is to protect Korea. The real job is not only to tell China to think twice but also win the truce. We’re gonna be there until Nokor starves itself out. Even the morons like Carter and Clinton knew that and that’s why we will never leave.

My cuz’ after he returned to Iraq debriefed in Oki and barely anyone was protesting but come back to Sokor, these assholes were outside in force.


9 posted on 10/29/2013 10:10:16 PM PDT by max americana (fired liberals in our company last election, and I laughed while they cried (true story))
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To: max americana

Whenever there were protests a good number of the protestors came down from mainland Japan. The local Okinawans do not like the Japanese for the most part. If you go to the peace park on Okinawa you will see that it was built with money from the mainland as the vast majority of the troops who perished on Okinawa were from the Japanese mainland.


10 posted on 10/30/2013 7:57:19 PM PDT by BBell (The Blue Dog is Stupid)
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To: max americana

My friend was there on the DMZ back in the early 90’s just to be a tripwire just like your cuz while I went to the desert. Tell your cuz I said thanks for his service.


11 posted on 10/31/2013 7:01:19 PM PDT by Redcitizen (.)
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To: Redcitizen

Thank you sir for your service as well. My favorite story is still when he came back from Iraq. I picked him up in Atlanta and some liberal protestor during the height of the protests spit at him (yes, it did happen). He decked the idiot and airport cops surrounded us. Cameras caught the incident which vindicated us.

Afterwards, I asked him that I never saw him so riled up. His explanation was “his loogie hit my boots. It took me hours to shine my boots, dude.”


12 posted on 10/31/2013 11:50:49 PM PDT by max americana (fired liberals in our company last election, and I laughed while they cried (true story))
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