Seoul vows to bar U.S. strike at North Korea

International Herald Tribune ^ | July 8th, 2005 | Choe Sang-Hun

[Paul Ross]

SEOUL President Roh Moo Hyun declared Thursday that under no circumstances would South Korea allow the United States to resort to a military attack against North Korea.

President George W. Bush insists that he wants to resolve the nuclear crisis through diplomacy, but he has not officially ruled out a military option, which he has called a "last choice."

[appalachian_dweller]

>> We need to keep the troops there. <<

Why?

[NJ_gent]

Japan and Taiwan are the only ones I can think of at the moment. Japan's population wouldn't tolerate a massive US military presence beyond what we've already got on their soil, and China wouldn't tolerate us putting any large numbers of troops of equipment on or near Taiwan.

[appalachian_dweller]

>> It's OUR national security. <<

Again, why is it in our nat'l security to keep troops in korea?

[daybreakcoming]

Don't like our ground troops there either with an armed psycho as a neighbor. Leave SK troops in their place and our AF and Navy can do the rest as you said.

[LibWhacker]

STFU, Roh... Else when we do strike, we may just forget to take out those nine gazillion artillery pieces the North has pointed at your a**.

[jpl]

Sure not the same Korea that I served my 389 days at Osan AB (K-55) from 1990-1991..

It sure isn't. They didn't even respond at all when their own citizen got beheaded a while back.

[appalachian_dweller]

>> We'll never have a military base this close to China again. <<

What good is a base if we can't initiate operations from it?

[monkeybrau]

"Seoul vows to bar U.S. strike at North Korea"

So they finally perfected "space-nets" to catch our nukes on the way in? Neat.

[Hildy]

South Korea is so tied into us economically that they'll do anything we say. This is all talk.

[Reagan is King]

President Roh Moo Hyun declared Thursday that under no circumstances would South Korea allow the United States to resort to a military attack against North Korea.

Note to Roh Moo Hyun: We don't need your permission.

[wtc911]

Japan and Taiwan are the only ones I can think of at the moment. Japan's population wouldn't tolerate a massive US military presence beyond what we've already got on their soil, and China wouldn't tolerate us putting any large numbers of troops of equipment on or near Taiwan.

----------------------------------------------

My point exactly. In spite of the other poster's contention that: "We have plenty of partners in Asia who would love to have our protection and American dollars. Screw the S. Koreans!!" there are no other PacRim countries to which we can move these forces.

As for his: "Screw the S. Koreans!!" let's be kind and assume that he is ignorant of the ROK's support for us in Viet Nam and Iraq.

[Blue Scourge]

We can do all the SK defending we need to do from Guam

And your line of reasoning for that is....

[NJ_gent]

"As for his: "Screw the S. Koreans!!""

Well, until North Korea is no longer a threat to US security interests and partners, our fate is tied to that of South Korea. If Kim Jong-il gets his hands on the South Korean economy, his weapons programs will advance by leaps and bounds. That puts highly advanced weapons -including nuclear - in the hands of Iran, Hamas, and Al Qaeda in no time. It also advances the completion of the Tae-po Dong III, which could carry nuclear warheads to Washington, DC. Running away from North Korea will put us at their mercy.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

'swhere the ghost of Curtis LeMay is said to live.

[Blue Scourge]

What have you seen to make you think just the ROK forces could defeat a massive NK push down the penn.

Everyone makes the mistake of underestimating NK...sure their weapons are old but they have alot and a whole lot of determination.

[Rutles4Ever]

What good is a base if we can't initiate operations from it?

The point is not to initiate operations but to deter operations, e.g. China or N. Korea attacking Japan. China will not engage us, and they won't risk it by attacking a direct ally with our forces nearby.

[rbmillerjr]

"I wouldn't count on us defending Taiwan, either, if they decide to invade."

Then you are clueless regarding our policy re: Taiwan.

If Taiwan is attacked by China...we are there. You might want to do a google on the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Communiques with China etc.

[Rutles4Ever]

Again, why is it in our nat'l security to keep troops in korea?

It's in our interest because when Tokyo is nuked by Pyongyang because we've moved everything to Guam, you're going to be selling pencils on a streetcorner to make a living.

[Blue Scourge]

LOL...thats actually a good line...but realistically do you think we would use nukes?

[Rutles4Ever]

Wow. Just wow.

The Taiwan Relations Act will not shoot down an ICBM headed for Seattle.