U.S. Marines Storm South Korean Beach

Guardian Unlimited ^ | March 21, 2003

[mykdsmom]

TOKSOK-RI, South Korea (AP) - Hundreds of U.S. Marines stormed a South Korean beach Friday, carrying out war games that North Korea charges are a prelude to an invasion.

The maneuvers, supported by fighter jets from warships just off shore, came even as other Marines, U.S. troops and allies crossed into Iraq in a march to disarm Saddam Hussein.

Both South Korean and U.S. Marines came ashore on amphibious assault vehicles amid mock explosions. Waves of helicopters and fighter jets droned overhead during the exercises, part of ongoing annual maneuvers.

After jumping out of the landing craft, the troops scrambled up an embankment to take positions behind pine trees before spreading out across the nearby rice fields.

``This is not about North Korea. This is about our commitment to deterrence. It is a defense-oriented exercise,'' said Lt. Col. Mike Caldwell, a spokesman for the U.S. Forces in Korea.

A lone demonstrator ran onto the beach to unfurl a protest flag before the drills began near this seashore village in southeastern South Korea, but was quickly tackled by police and hauled away.

The drills come amid heightened tensions over North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons program. But the United States, which bases 37,000 troops in South Korea, says they are unrelated to the standoff and purely defensive.

Washington has deployed an intimidating array of weaponry for the monthlong maneuvers, including the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and a wing of radar-evading stealth fighters, which is here for the first time in a decade.

The United States regularly conducts military exercises with South Korea. One of the annual exercises - called ``Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration'' - will end March 26. A second exercise - called ``Foal Eagle'' - started March 4 and will run until April 2.

North Korea criticizes the drills as unnecessarily stoking jitters despite Washington's repeated insistence it has no plans to invade North Korea.

Tensions have run high in the region since October, when the United States said North Korea admitted having a secret nuclear program.

[mykdsmom]

NEXT?

Could Kim be next in line?

Time will tell.

Damn I'm proud of my country and our fantastic military.

MKM

[RS]

This is just to show NK that we can still handle them at the same time.

[mykdsmom]

I know.....ain't it cool? Great to sit back and see the awesome Bush stategery unfold.

Good if we end up not wasting a lot of our bombs and $$ on Iraq because there are others in line for us to use it on.

MKM

[Professional]

A lone demonstrator ran onto the beach to unfurl a protest flag before the drills began near this seashore village in southeastern South Korea, but was quickly tackled by police and hauled away.

He was later charged with attempting to drive away a protecting army. The punishment for that is to eat half a bowl a rice per day, that's it, for the rest of his life.

[babylucas]

Our president is a brilliant man.

[Centurion2000]

Kim,

Remember Shock and Awe ? Looks like we're going to have PLENTY of ammo left .... get ready :)

[Grampa Dave]

Yo Kim Chia Head!

Do you want some of what Saddam has gotten?

[photogirl]

Bump, ask me about this tomorrow

[vger]

Next stop NK. Then give the troops a couple of weeks in Hawaii on their way home to San Diego for the victory parties! God bless our President and the men and women of our military!

[dfwgator]

Next stop NK.

Then after that, on to Havana.

[Orion78]

Dear Kim Jong Il,

"The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder."

Regards,
George W. Bush

[Grampa Dave]

If the Iranians don't start their own revolution, we need to decapitate the heads of Iran and then Syria.

Then we can go to Hawaii to take out Yo Kim Chia Head. Like Soddam's group, slice the heads of about 10 to 12 including Yo Kim Chia Head, and it will be over. He and his incestful daddy have been starving the pook N K's for about 50 years.

Since we have stealth fighters and cruise missiles, we might be able to off Yo Kim Chia Head while our guys are on liberty in Hawaii.

[GATOR NAVY]

This is an annual exercise. I've done numerous landings at this beach.

[Grampa Dave]

You posted, Then after that, on to Havana.

Amen, I want to be able to go fly fish in the waters around Cuba. Drink some local beers and then urinate on Castro's grave for what he has done since 1962 to this country and his people.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Back before the Soviet Union finally ended up on the dung heap of history a major exercise involving all four branches of the US military and the ROK was held annually on the Korean Peninsula called Team Spirit.

[idkfa]

These are probably the annual war games called Team Spirit. I participated in '81.

[GATOR NAVY]

I still have the key ring that was given to all of us by the ROK government for what turned out to be the last Team Spirit in 1993.

After that it became Foal Eagle. Other times of the year there was Valiant Usher.