freeandfun1
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- Feb 14, 2004
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Wolfowitz angers U.S. military officers
A U.S. military officer who asks to remain anonymous tells NKzone he is deeply offended by remarks made on Tuesday by U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. He asks whether Wolfowitz realizes how much damage he has done "to the morale of the troops in Korea let alone to alliance relations?
Wolfowitz called the "tripwire role" of U.S. troops on the Korean peninsula - especially in the DMZ - "kind of useless" and "counterproductive."
If this is the administration's view of Korea we are in deep trouble," the officer tells NKzone. "What an insult to each and every one of us who have served and are serving in Korea. What a blow to the alliance.
Meanwhile, the fallout continues over the U.S. decision to move 3,600 troops from South Korea to Iraq. The Korea Herald says: Troops move shows shaky alliance. It also cites a study by the U.S. Congressional Budget Office: Troop removal may increase chances of war (and won't bring about cost savings either, apparently). The Chosun Ilbo reports on the Foreign Minister's latest comments: Foreign Minister Says Anti-Americanism as Expression of Anger, Not Ideological.
David Scofield writes for the Asia Times: Seoul dithers on 3,000 troops for Iraq.
The craziest aspect of the whole situation is that North Korea is interpreting the U.S. pullback from the DMZ - as well as the move of some troops from S.Korea to Iraq - as a threat. North Korea's ambassador to the U.N. tells the Joongang Ilbo: "Analysts view the announcement on the U.S.'s redeployment in Korea as being aimed at a preemptive strike against the North, raising the potential for a second Korean War."
Some people in the U.S. military have opined off- the-record to NKzone that the recent troop redeployment away from the DMZ represents a lost opportunity to win concessions out of North Korea. There is also concern that the pullback from the DMZ was not coordinated at all with the State Dept., let alone with the South Koreans. Even a lot of military people seem to find it counter-productive when the DoD fails to coordinate with other key players.
A U.S. military officer who asks to remain anonymous tells NKzone he is deeply offended by remarks made on Tuesday by U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. He asks whether Wolfowitz realizes how much damage he has done "to the morale of the troops in Korea let alone to alliance relations?
Wolfowitz called the "tripwire role" of U.S. troops on the Korean peninsula - especially in the DMZ - "kind of useless" and "counterproductive."
If this is the administration's view of Korea we are in deep trouble," the officer tells NKzone. "What an insult to each and every one of us who have served and are serving in Korea. What a blow to the alliance.
Meanwhile, the fallout continues over the U.S. decision to move 3,600 troops from South Korea to Iraq. The Korea Herald says: Troops move shows shaky alliance. It also cites a study by the U.S. Congressional Budget Office: Troop removal may increase chances of war (and won't bring about cost savings either, apparently). The Chosun Ilbo reports on the Foreign Minister's latest comments: Foreign Minister Says Anti-Americanism as Expression of Anger, Not Ideological.
David Scofield writes for the Asia Times: Seoul dithers on 3,000 troops for Iraq.
The craziest aspect of the whole situation is that North Korea is interpreting the U.S. pullback from the DMZ - as well as the move of some troops from S.Korea to Iraq - as a threat. North Korea's ambassador to the U.N. tells the Joongang Ilbo: "Analysts view the announcement on the U.S.'s redeployment in Korea as being aimed at a preemptive strike against the North, raising the potential for a second Korean War."
Some people in the U.S. military have opined off- the-record to NKzone that the recent troop redeployment away from the DMZ represents a lost opportunity to win concessions out of North Korea. There is also concern that the pullback from the DMZ was not coordinated at all with the State Dept., let alone with the South Koreans. Even a lot of military people seem to find it counter-productive when the DoD fails to coordinate with other key players.
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