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S. Korea: U.S. has our back [ROK FM: send 40% Navy, half USAF, 70% of USMC to region in emergency]
New Yrok Daily News ^ | Feb 14, 2005 | BILL HUTCHINSON

Posted on 02/14/2005 5:28:22 AM PST by Mike Fieschko

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1 posted on 02/14/2005 5:28:23 AM PST by Mike Fieschko
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To: Mike Fieschko

So now they're making nice eh?


2 posted on 02/14/2005 5:30:07 AM PST by Principled
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To: Mike Fieschko
Japan is very important in this region. They could easily defeat North Koreans on their own If they decided to build some serious armored forces.

BTW Have South Koreans finally sent soldiers to Iraq ? I heard something about 3.5 thousand soldiers a few months ago.
3 posted on 02/14/2005 5:33:17 AM PST by Grzegorz 246
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To: Grzegorz 246

The South Koreans have about that many troops in Iraq right now. They've been there for quite a while. They are doing a very good job.


4 posted on 02/14/2005 5:36:23 AM PST by CCPlanner
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To: Mike Fieschko

Call me insensitive, but the South Koreans are not worth getting into a nuclear war over. It's time they've defended themselves. We've been there, what, over fifty years. That's more than enough. In that South Korea relies on us to defend them, they are parasitic.


5 posted on 02/14/2005 5:41:59 AM PST by Pittsburg Phil
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To: Mike Fieschko
That's pretty rich coming from the current generation of South Korea and their "Why Can't We Be Friends(song by the group WAR) leadership. I thought WE were the problem, and El Ditzo de Norte was the solution. Guess they're going to leave MacArthur's statue up, eh?

The only good thing about it is that a lot of older and rural Koreans like, respect and remember us as their saviors during the Korean War. I did a tour there on the DMZ in '68-'69. When we drove through little villages in the back country, they'd come out along the road and wave little American and Korean flags.
6 posted on 02/14/2005 5:42:50 AM PST by PzLdr (Liberals are like slugs-they leave a trail of slime wherever they go.)
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To: Mike Fieschko
How long would it take to get that level of US assets into the Korean Peninsula?

A heck of a lot longer than it would take the North to move a million+ soldiers thirty miles from the DMZ into Seoul after destroying most of Seoul with artillery.

An "Emergency" to save South Korea would likely require the US to use Nukes on the North if there is to be a chance of saving Seoul and the South.
7 posted on 02/14/2005 5:44:15 AM PST by CaptSkip
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To: Mike Fieschko
The main thing we have at their backs is our "nuclear stick". On that, Baby Kim Jong (mentally) Il is correct. That's what the trip wire of 35,000 troops and their dependants will trip. One thing that is different from the situation in the 50's and 60's are the capabilities of the ROK military, but if the balloon goes up over the DMZ I think the situation will go nuclear very quickly. The Chinese know this and that scenario, as well as a re-militarized and nuclear armed Japan, ought to lead them to pull baby Kim's plug very soon.
8 posted on 02/14/2005 5:47:52 AM PST by katana
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To: Principled
This reminds me of 1940... when France demanded that Churchill throw the bulk of his fighter command to defend a hopeless situation on the ground.

First off, the Korean problem is a United Nations problem... left over from 1953. It is not exclusively America's problem... it's just in our 'interests'.

S. Korea has it's own military... if it is suddenly awaking to this 'problem', I would say, “It's about time!”

IMO, using our ground forces to slug it out with the scum-bag NK's is a waste of fine, highly-trained individuals. After 50+ years of American provided assistance, South Korea should have a crack military... withable to take a suprise strike... and deal back in spades.

But most of all, it should have the will and the fortitude to do so. Unfortunately, this cannot be bought or sold... it is acquired through lessons of the past.

9 posted on 02/14/2005 5:52:19 AM PST by johnny7 (“It's not revenge he wants... it's a 'reckonin!” -Doc Holliday, Tombstone)
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To: Grzegorz 246

The Japanese MSDF could easily take on & launch a blockade of North Korea on their own.But Im not so sure about the offensive capabilities of JASDF.I read that a study undertaken by the Japanese government showed that Japanese warplanes had a limited stock of precision guided munitions for use on strike missions(leaving them vulnerable to enemy fire as well) & they were also hampered by a limited number of aerial refuellers.


10 posted on 02/14/2005 5:54:52 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
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To: Pittsburg Phil

Phil, I disagree with you. First most of the S Koreans are worth protecting. The student demonstrators are idiots & always have been, but 49% voted for Kerry here.

The only reason we have spent 50 years in Korea is because of the UN and their brokered “truce”. The UN isn’t in the business of ending wars and solving problems. Yes we are a major part of the UN, but I would also say this is another reason to cut support to the UN completely and kick them out of NY.

The Chinese are our friends on this issue and will press Kim il without mercy. What do you think would happen to Chinese exports if Korea slowed down the export of cheap Chinese trash for 6 weeks? Tiananmen Square 100 fold with mass unemployment.


11 posted on 02/14/2005 5:58:22 AM PST by zek157
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To: Pittsburg Phil

I agree with that. It's about time S. Korea starts looking after itself. They certainly have the population levels to support a large army. We need only provide a little military aid, reconditioned humvee's and such. Most of the population doesn't want us there anyways, so they can stuff their lefty attitude and look after themselves. I'll bet they will sing a different tune when they are forced to stare down the N.koreans at the DMV as part of their civil duty.


12 posted on 02/14/2005 6:39:03 AM PST by Nathan Zachary
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To: zek157

It's not like we would be completely pull out of the region, we'd always be around the region regardless. It would free up our equipment to provide rapid response to other areas, which would still include S Korea. One trident sub could take out N. Korea permanently.


13 posted on 02/14/2005 6:44:01 AM PST by Nathan Zachary
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To: CaptSkip

I doubt the North Koreans get very far at all, even with no US reinforcements having arrived.

DMZ troop densities are very high and it's been fortified for 50 years.

Regarding Seoul and artillery, only a fraction of NK's tubes have the range to hit Seoul from the DMZ. A lot of articles make it look like every artillery piece they have would be firing on Seoul.

Anyway, the NKs would have invaded the SECOND they thought they'd be successful. They haven't. And the correlation of forces isn't getting any better for them. So they won't, I suspect.


14 posted on 02/14/2005 6:54:21 AM PST by Strategerist
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To: sukhoi-30mki
Yes, they have modern and strong Navy - about 40 destroyers, quite good Air Force - F-15's and some clones of F-16's (?) but not too many of them, however they hardly have any land forces. They spend on defense about 0.9 of their GNP...
15 posted on 02/14/2005 7:36:21 AM PST by Grzegorz 246
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To: Grzegorz 246

Having strong landforces would also be of little help esp if you are talking about Japan invading North Korea or helping the US out(little chance of NK doing the reverse).They would have difficulty getting there & their lack of an offensive air capability will start to tell. & the North Koreans won't be pushovers despite the fact that many of them live on grass-there is a lot of bad blood between Japan & the Korean peninsula(including South Korea).


16 posted on 02/14/2005 7:42:46 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
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To: sukhoi-30mki

Yes, but I'm not talking only about Japan vs NK. Japan should generally build some serious armed forces. They can't forever stay under US wings.


17 posted on 02/14/2005 9:12:26 AM PST by Grzegorz 246
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To: Grzegorz 246

There is no use of you & me talking about it!!The Japanese government & people have to take the plunge & shape a new destiny for themselves.

PS-I read in a newspaper article about 6-7 years back that India,Israel & Japan were 3 countries which could build a functioning nuclear triad including submarine launched missiles & even ICBMs in a matter of few years given the highly advanced state of their civilian space & nuclear programmes.Israel & India have more or less reached there-no sign of Japan wanting to reach there.


18 posted on 02/14/2005 9:17:53 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
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To: zek157
Phil, I disagree with you. First most of the S Koreans are worth protecting. The student demonstrators are idiots & always have been, but 49% voted for Kerry here.

I was about to say that we have the same problem with our student idiots. ;-)

19 posted on 02/14/2005 9:22:07 AM PST by Rightwing Conspiratr1 (Lock-n-load!)
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To: Mike Fieschko
OPLAN 5027 is the US-ROK Combined Forces Command basic warplan.

OPLAN 5027 Major Theater War - West

20 posted on 02/14/2005 9:22:08 AM PST by B-Chan (Catholic. Monarchist. Texan. Any questions?)
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