Posted on 06/06/2004 8:40:02 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Bush Admin Official Stresses Bilateral Discussions on USFK Issue
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A high-ranking official from the Bush administration said Saturday (local time) about the reduction in scale of U.S. forces in Korea (USFK) that, “No decision has been made yet. President Bush and President Roh will decide after discussions between the two governments.” The official, who wished to remain anonymous, said in a meeting with correspondents in Washington, D.C. that the U.S. would present a strategic concept of USFK at the 9th Future of the Alliance Talks (FOTA) instead of presenting any specific reduction scales. This official said that through discussions between Korea and the United States, USFK may be adjusted in a direction so it can conduct missions in other regions in Northeast Asia in the future. While emphasizing the importance of discussions between the two countries on the adjustment of USFK, the official said that if Roh had opposed the sending of some USFK units to Iraq, “[the transfer] would have been suspended and the situation reconsidered.”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (right) speaks to Defense Minister Cho Young Kil (second from left) and Singapore's Minister for Defence and Rear Admiral Teo Chee Hean (second from right) during a lunch meeting at the IISS Asia Security Conference in Singapore on Saturday.
About the North Korean nuclear issue, the official said the U.S. accepted the three-level plan presented by South Korea, but this was refused by North Korea. The three-level plans included North Korea agreeing to the abolition of its nuclear and freezing it, surrounding countries supporting energy to North Korea, and security guarantees to North Korea. The official said, “North Korea will not receive any support from foreign countries unless it abolishes its nuclear program. There will be no more carrots and the pressure will grow heavier.” Meanwhile, because China opposes the transformation of USFK into a rapid deployment force and the expansion of the role of the alliance to cover areas outside the Korean Peninsula, there is an increasing possibility that this matter will grow into a multinational issue.
The U.S. has already revealed its conception of expanding the area of activity for the Korea-U.S. alliance to the Northeast Asian region through the comments of 8th U.S. Army commander Lt. Gen. Charles C. Campbell, who said the combined forces of Korea and the U.S. might perform peacekeeping operations in Northeast Asia. The Korean government protested at that time that it worried Campbell’s statement might provoke China.
Nevertheless, comments related to both transforming USFK into a mobile force that could be rapidly deployed in the Asian region and the expansion of the Korea-U.S. alliance are continuously coming from the Bush administration, and this means that discussions on applying the "Rumsfeld Doctrine" to the Korea-U.S. alliance have progressed fairly far within the U.S. government. The Chinese government expressed its position through the Chinese Embassy in Korea that, “The USFK redeployment issue mustn't harm our interests,” and is closely observing the situation. Accordingly, the issue of determining the character of the Korea-U.S. alliance is becoming a potential conflict factor between the U.S. and China, and there is some indication that Korea may end up getting stuck between them.
It sent a wave of shock in S. Korean government, which has been neglecting to patch up bilateral alliance. Now U.S. turns around and says, "O.K. We could reconsider our plan. We could be flexible. Our troops could stay if you agree that U.S. troops in S. Korea could be deployed to any trouble spots in N.E. Asia."
It could put itself in a worse position than it was. Previously, U.S. troops in S. Korea is for defending S. Korea. Now it defends any U.S. interest in N.E. Asia, dragging S. Korea into it, by default. The left-wing government of S. Korea thoughtlessly tried to force its way while having only weak cards. It naturally backfired.
This is also a way of putting pressure on China, too. Bush is overtly making a new arrangement that U.S. troops in S. Korea can fight Chinese if China attacks Taiwan. It also sends a message that China should do it share in pressing hard on N. Korea to resolve its nuclear crisis.
Bush is trying to get China and S. Korea in line. Behind the scene, there is a lot of arm-twisting going on at this moment. And Bush is doing all this to nail N. Korea.
Ping!
South Korea has twice the population and 40 times the economy of North Korea, yet 37,000 Americans (who are spat upon by those they protect) are risking their lives to protect a bunch of ingrates.
Why would one expect a change when for more than 3 years his style of playing has been so very effective?
Current government came to power by resorting to the orgy of America bashing. S. Korean version of boomers(30's and early 40's) went into their predictable leftie swooning, just like boomers in U.S. They will all crash down to concrete floor soon. You see, S. Korea operates in much thinner margin economically and security-wise than U.S. in 60's. Not as much wealth as U.S. No ocean to separate it from its enemies, just DMZ which is a couple of miles wide.
Their day of reckoning may be already staring.
It could put itself in a worse position than it was.
--> S. Korea could put itself in a worse position than it was.
He's also sending a message to the North that we can have bilateral negotiations with a country that is being reasonable, but that NK don't deserve bilateral talks right now (unless Kerry becomes Pres)
North Korea and South Korea are straw men between the United States and the Russian-Chinese coalition. It is also a means for NK to be able to shuffle WMD's to the terrorist world while the two powers carry on the appearance of innocence. Russia and China are NOT our friends.
Agreed, although those two would be hurt economically almost as bad as us if a terrorist nukes one of our cities (even though they may not realize that)
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