[Alberta's Child]

Let's go back and review some of the things that came up when the deadline had allegedly been extended and the South Koreans were supposedly negotiating different terms for this guy's release:

1. South Korea would still send the 3,000 troops they were originally going to send.

2. The civilian contractors from South Korea would be removed from Iraq.

So basically it all boils down to this: sometime in the next few days there will be 3,000+ South Korean troops in Iraq, and 0 (that's zero) civilian contractors.

Is there some way we can sack the entire leadership in the U.S. Department of Defense, and replace them with South Korea's defense ministry? They seem to be the only ones who have figured out that this is still a f#%&ing war, and not a Peace Corps operation.

[AmericanInTokyo]

It is not over yet.

This

unfortunately, will be the response of well over 80% of the South Korean People--hey witness the recent elections-- I can assure you.

While the current ROK military/diplomacy is one thing, public opinion in Korea is another and can be quite potent.

Many people here on FR nostalgize back to the good old days in Vietnam where they knew tough-as-nails ROK army guys personally. I don't discount those past realities.

This is a new day, however, the Korean young generation will not stand up to these terrorist guys, and they will be angry at the US and their own government instead, such fools that they are. The ROK government may hang in there, but they are going to be under amazing pressure by the appeasement crowd from here-on-out, which will be in the strong majority in Korea, IMHO.

Don't anyone get angry at me. I'm just telling how it is with these young and middle-aged folks nowadays. It may go the way of Spain for all we know. I hope not.