Posted on 06/09/2004 5:24:01 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
US already moving on pullout of DMZ as larger troop cuts loom in South Korea
By Associated Press
Wednesday, June 9, 2004
PANMUNJOM, Korea (AP) — The U.S. military is on track to pull almost all of its troops from their last outpost on the tense border with North Korea by October, a U.S. Army officer said Wednesday, amid discord over relocation plans.
The two allies were also eyeing more negotiations over a separate U.S. proposal to remove a third of the 37,000 American troops in South Korea by the end of next year.
The issues signal a new test for a key alliance that has helped underpin U.S. policy in the region since the 1950-53 Korean War, when U.S. soldiers helped repel a North Korean invasion of the South.
By October, all but a handful of American soldiers are to be removed from Panmunjom, a truce village in the middle of the no-man's land dividing North and South Korea.
U.S. Army Capt. Ryan Roberts, with the battalion stationed here, said the handover was proceeding smoothly, with the two sides negotiating about which buildings to hand over to South Korea first.
The U.S. military also is training South Korean soldiers there in the use of South Korean firearms and military hardware. South Korean troops currently attached to U.S. units use mainly U.S. equipment, Roberts said.
"This will all belong to the ROK Army," he said of the U.S. bases Camp Bonifas and Camp Liberty Bell, nestled along the border. ROK stands for Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.
There are about 550 South Korean and U.S. troops in the Panmunjom area now. South Koreans account for about 65% of the force, but that figure will jump to 93% after the Oct. 31 handover. After that date, U.S. forces will comprise just 7% of the region's defensive punch.
Their pullout is part of the unresolved plan to consolidate U.S. troops at sites south of the capital, Seoul.
Talks on the issue ended Tuesday in disagreement over a U.S. request for 2,916 acres, about 300 acres more than South Korea was willing to set aside for the expanded bases.
Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Lawless, who led the U.S. delegation, was quoted as saying in an interview with South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper that he was "frustrated" over the dispute.
Kim Sook, in charge of North American affairs at South Korea's Foreign Ministry, said Seoul hoped for another meeting on the matter later this month or in early July. He said South Korea wanted agreement by year's end.
North Korea, which routinely calls for the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from the South, has so far been silent on the separate U.S. proposal to remove 12,500 American troops — the largest cut since the 1970s.
Some in South Korea saw the withdrawal plan as too sudden, fearing it would be seen as a sign of weakness by North Korea as the communist country wrangles with its neighbors over its nuclear weapons program.
South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon tried to quell security concerns Wednesday.
"Under no circumstances should the redeployment lead toward minimizing the joint South Korea-U.S. defense capability, but instead lead toward strengthening it," Ban said.
Ping!
Why isn't there dancing in the streets in the ROK?
We ought to remove every single American serviceman from the peninsula.
Let those ingrates defend themselves.
Withdraw all our troops. Let the South Koreans feel the full measure of their foolish votes.
Meanwhile, others in the US Army
guard the inter-German border.
....
Time for the US to leave Germany.
Most folks just don't know anything about how militaries operate, and assume that because we are taking 12,000 people off the peninsula that our comprehensive defensive capability is substantially weakened. In reality, this is not the case. However, the history of this land would seem to justify a certain amount of paranoia.
Even the college-aged folks are no worse on average than the anti-American sh**heads at the universities I attended prior to going on active duty.
"Really the majority of the people are not so bad."
What you say may be true. But the reality is that we've been parked at the Korean border for 55 years, ostensibly to protect our ROK "allies". Then, when we are engulfed in the greatest threat to our security since WWII, the majority of the Koreans, through the policies of their duly elected government, decide to take a big shit on the American people to indicate their gratitude for our 55 years of sacrifice. So I say "SCREW KOREA"!!!
The same can be said for the Germans, and the French, and the Spanish, and any other half-assed mis-begotten nest of duplicitous vipers that have watched American soldiers die in the tens of thousands in wars large and small all over the world since the end of WWII trying to protect the peace. These prix have an attitude that American blood must flow "for me, but not for thee". So I say "EFF 'EM ALL"!!!
Why do we need to negotiate anything ?
(a) First tour 1979-1980: I would vehemently disagree with any proposal to pull out of Korea, probably with the emphasis of a fist to the nose of the individual making the proposal, having had a very pleasant experience with the populace;
(b) Second tour 1988-1989: I would disagree with the proposal to pull out of Korea, although indicating that I could probably argue both sides of the discussion, having had a reasonably pleasant experience with the populace up by the DMZ but a much less pleasant time with individuals south of Uijongbu/Camp Red Cloud;
(c) Third tour 1993-1994: I would not only agree with the proposal, but would inquire as to when the boats would be made available and could it be done yesterday at the latest. The tide of public opinion was turning against us even up by the DMZ, except for the very oldest people who personally remembered the Korean War.
Now, after hearing from friends who are still in the Army and recently or presently assigned to Korea, I would advocate not only pulling out all of our troops, but liberally bombing both sides of the DMZ with nukes after completing that task.
I liked the part where the new president of ROK offered to "mediate" between the United States and North Korea. Because, you know, the war was between us and the poor South Koreans just got caught in the middle.
America's value is being reassessed throughout the world as a result of this reduction, and the pullouts in Saudi and Germany.
No, but, we do get what we deserve.
82'- 83' SGT with 802nd Engineers, 91'- 92'CW2 with 1/4 FA on Pelham, 5 klicks from Freedom Bridge, 97'- 98' CW3 with 4/7 CAV on Garry Owen (previously named Camp Pelham- lived in same hooch, for Christ's sake)...it's time for us to go...get out, lock stock and barrel- the Koreans don't want us, and they think they don't need us...interestingly enough, during a security brief the last time, the CAV XO asked the group what the capital of North Korea was...according to the NK's it's Seoul, and they want it back...
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