Posted on 09/17/2018 11:50:24 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday said President Trump previously came close to pulling U.S. troops out of South Korea and added that Trump will reconsider doing so if North Korea is "playing" him.
Graham said on CBS's "Face the Nation" that moving troops out of South Korea would signal that the U.S. is "preparing for military conflict." The senator added that the current engagements between the U.S. and North Korea could be "fruitful," but that "we're not out of the woods yet."
“If [Trump] has to, he’ll use military force to stop a missile coming to America with a nuclear weapon on it," Graham said.
“We were really close to having to make that hard decision," he continued. "Now we have some time. Are they playing us? I don’t know. If they’re playing Trump, we’re going to be in a world of hurt because he’s going to have no options left. This is the last best chance for peace.”
Graham said on "Face the Nation" in July that he warned Trump during negotiations with North Korea that he has been "played" by Pyongyang.
Graham said Sunday that Trump was previously frustrated with North Korea "saying one thing and doing another," something Graham said prompted the president to consider withdrawing troops from South Korea.
The senator added that while that didn't happen, "the president is serious" about considering that option.
"The whole point here is President Trump has no place to kick the can," Graham said.
Defense Secretary James Mattis said in June that the idea of pulling U.S. troops from South Korea is "not even a subject of discussions."
Yes, you are correct. Pulling troops out would be a reward to Kim, not a punishment. On the other hand, pulling out dependents would signal that we were getting ready for a war. He either is getting senile, or was misquoted.
Knowing which direction the Army has been heading in, I suppose there are many more authorized dependents there now than during my two tours many years ago. Only a few high-ranking officers and very critical NCOs were allowed to have their families there back then.
If he really said that he is in worse shape than I thought. More likely the reporter messed it up. Korea used to be an unaccompanied tour (no dependents). Not sure who changed it, but it needs to go back to that status.
They’ve moved almost every soldier to Camp Humphreys, south of Seoul so they’re not in much direct danger any more.
Linda now thinks he is McCain.
Possibility, BUT S. Korea’s President is a leftist, and is making all the wrong moves cozying with Kim that could seriously effect our relationship with S. Korea, thus the success of a North Korean denuclearization. Kim is playing S. Korea’s Socialist President.
Pulling our troops could help S. Korean heads to slip out of the deep abyss, and support the goal, rather than fall into the hands of the little Commie Dictator.
“Rocket man” THINKS he’s playing us using his alleged relationship with the S. Korean Socialist President. I say jerk his chain.
Politicians even Trump sometimes make the horrible mistake of talking in shorthand. Slow down and explain carefully each time.
I initially thought that as well, pulling the troops out would be a concession.
Maybe not. Let say our answer is to pull everybody out and then bomb the artillery bigly. Fewer US casualties.
I don’t know. Nobody’s playing President Trump. The issue is the players on the other side (China).
The media is treating tariffs on China as an issue separate from ending the Korean War. They aren’t separate since the folks actually waging the war are the Chinese, by proxy.
My cousin is/was stationed at Red Cloud and last time I checked with him around March, they were moving his BN out to another camp (he wouldn’t elaborate and I can understand). Not sure if it was Humphreys.
Graham and Schumer share a likeness, they both love blabbing about anything and everything in front of cameras and reporters.
Did anyone on this thread read the first sentence of the article? It says “reconsider” not “consider”. The title is wrong.
Wow, what a confusing story. And why is Graham so close to Trump - closer than any other Senator?
No need to take this crazy battleaxe’s bravado seriously.
“Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”
Or,
“I’d rather him inside the tent, urinating out, than outside the tent, urinating in.”
That’s of course, assuming Graham isn’t his usual self, pulling stuff from where the Sun don’t shine.
Yep - unless the South has pissed him off too and he expects a huge amount of collateral damage down there before the North is neutralized, which ain’t been in any strategy I’ve ever seen...even in War Planner’s College in Montgomery....
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