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Pres. Trump asks Pentagon to look at options for withdrawing troops from South Korea: report
The Hill ^ | 05/03/2018 | Brett Samuels

Posted on 05/04/2018 1:28:38 AM PDT by Atlantic Friend

President Trump asks Pentagon to look at options for withdrawing troops from South Korea: report

President Trump has asked the Pentagon to look at options for reducing the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea as he prepares to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, The New York Times reports.

The U.S. currently has roughly 28,000 soldiers stationed on the Korean peninsula. It’s unclear if the plans will call for a full or partial withdrawal of troops.

Some at the Pentagon are concerned that bringing troops home from South Korea ahead of Trump’s meeting with Kim could create tensions with neighboring Japan, the Times reported.

Kim and Trump are expected to meet in the coming weeks as the U.S. pushes for the denuclearization of North Korea. Trump said Tuesday a date and location for the meeting will be announced in the next "couple of days."

(...)

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


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Japan; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: china; defense; diplomacy; japan; korea; maga; pyongyang; republicofkorea; russia
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To: Atlantic Friend

Fake news......ya dont think Obama considered this years ago?


21 posted on 05/04/2018 4:55:11 AM PDT by wardamneagle
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To: BobL

Last time we pulled out of South Korea we were back in 364 days, at a cost of 54,246 men.

...yes because the world is exactly like it was in 1950 /s


22 posted on 05/04/2018 4:58:56 AM PDT by CIB-173RDABN (US out of the UN, UN out of the US)
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To: Wuli

Do you sit down at a poker table without knowing how many chips you have?


23 posted on 05/04/2018 5:00:52 AM PDT by Kirkwood (Zombie Hunter)
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To: CIB-173RDABN

“...yes because the world is exactly like it was in 1950”

CORRECT! The Koreas certainly are the same - the North is run by a mad dictator with a first name of Kim with a military capable of moving on 5 minutes notice, while the South is prosperous and free, and almost certainly cannot resist that invasion.

Hard to see much being different, at least right now.


24 posted on 05/04/2018 5:06:15 AM PDT by BobL (I shop at Walmart and eat at McDonald's...I just don't tell anyone)
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To: BobL

Yeah, I hear you, I’m wondering if that is the real goal - just pander to us enough so we leave. I see China’s fingerprints too.


25 posted on 05/04/2018 5:32:55 AM PDT by fuzzylogic (welfare state = sharing consequences of poor moral choices among everybody)
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To: Fai Mao

Or into Honduras and end the gangs

Dont worry about technicalities
Syria didn’t invite us either


26 posted on 05/04/2018 5:39:59 AM PDT by silverleaf (A man who kneels for the national anthem doesn't stand for much of anything)
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To: familyop

This request to the Defense Department is, of course, a negotiating tactic in his dealing with North Korea. If/when he gets what he wants, Trump will draw down the US military presence but will replace it with something less overt as a “trip wire.” Or a deal with the North will leave an American or proxy presence in North Korea itself, a large inspection team at least.


27 posted on 05/04/2018 5:56:02 AM PDT by arthurus (g)
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To: familyop

This request to the Defense Department is, of course, a negotiating tactic in his dealing with North Korea. If/when he gets what he wants, Trump will draw down the US military presence but will replace it with something less overt as a “trip wire.” Or a deal with the North will leave an American or proxy presence in North Korea itself, a large inspection team at least.


28 posted on 05/04/2018 5:56:25 AM PDT by arthurus (g)
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To: fuzzylogic

Trump wouldn’t like that, but it would be pretty ingenious of them if that were the case. Once out, I can’t see how we go back in, short of an all out war, if that.


29 posted on 05/04/2018 5:57:00 AM PDT by BobL (I shop at Walmart and eat at McDonald's...I just don't tell anyone)
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To: Sacajaweau

“Art of the Deal........

Trump is always tossing bones to the media...and at the same time pondering.”


30 posted on 05/04/2018 6:09:23 AM PDT by Parley Baer
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To: BobL

When doing a threat analysis it is wise to consider not only the potential threat as well as the capability of you opponent.

Is North Korea a threat? Perhaps, but does North Korea have the capability to win a war? And if they “won” what would they win?

North Korea has the ability to cause great harm, but (in my opinion) they do not have the ability to wage a long war unless China gets involved.

So it becomes a question what would China gain with a war with the US? Answer, nothing to gain, and everything to lose.

So things are not like 1950 as the whole political landscape has changed.

The time for the United States citizen providing protection in the form of gold and blood for the world should be over.

Allow each nation tax themselves for defense and each nation provide the soldiers for their own defense.


31 posted on 05/04/2018 6:12:26 AM PDT by CIB-173RDABN (US out of the UN, UN out of the US)
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To: Atlantic Friend

Kim is going to de nuke, not get rid of all the rest of the arsenal aimed South.
Our troops will be in SK for awhile longer.


32 posted on 05/04/2018 6:14:26 AM PDT by weston (As far as I'm concerned, it's Christ or nothing)
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To: weston

WE lost 33k deaths in the 50’s


33 posted on 05/04/2018 6:49:16 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
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To: Atlantic Friend

Removing troops from Korea would be the biggest mistake one could make.
thematic to the North

South Korea already has a semi Communist government sympathetic and cooperative with the North.

It is very plausible that North Korea and China could end up the dominant political players in South Korea after the US leaves.


34 posted on 05/04/2018 7:03:21 AM PDT by rdcbn
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To: All

“Utter nonsense,” says WH National Security Advisor John Bolton of @nytimes story on pulling forces out of South Korea. “The President has not asked the Pentagon to provide options for reducing American forces stationed in South Korea,” says Bolton in written statement.

https://twitter.com/markknoller/status/992374788361543685


35 posted on 05/04/2018 7:17:22 AM PDT by Krosan
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To: trebb

Good to hear; I hope you’re right.


36 posted on 05/04/2018 9:03:53 AM PDT by Jack Hammer
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To: Krosan

“The President has not asked....

Thank you. Truth not #fakenews


37 posted on 05/04/2018 10:27:43 AM PDT by weston (As far as I'm concerned, it's Christ or nothing)
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To: Kirkwood

You tell your seconds anything you want, privately, in a side bar, you do not tell the other players what you are and are not anticipating.


38 posted on 05/04/2018 2:43:39 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: BobL

I think you greatly underestimate the ROK military of today versus the thinly equipped small little force that existed in 1950. South Korea is an economic and cultural superpower that can easily field a large army, and does. South Koreans are in much better shape physically and mentally than their cousins to the North and better educated and not malnourished.


39 posted on 05/04/2018 3:47:09 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You cannot invade the mainland US. There'd be a rifle behind every blade of grass.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I think you greatly underestimate the ROK military of today

The ROK troops in Vietnam were some mean mofo's. VC would turn themselves over to ARVN or US troops if they felt they might possibly be in contact with ROK troops.

Quite a reputation.

40 posted on 05/04/2018 4:01:43 PM PDT by redcatcherb412
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