Korean Government Responds to General Bell's "Fighting" Words
The Korean government has begun to respond to USFK commander General Bell’s criticism of the South Korean foot dragging over the USFK relocation to Camp Humphreys:
Seoul is determined to seek a quick relocation of U.S. military installations, Foreign Minister Song Min-soon assured reporters yesterday. He was speaking a day after the senior U.S. military commander here warned that he would fight any delay in the relocation regardless of the reason for the delay.
Asked at a regular press briefing, whether there had been any change in the scheduled relocation date, originally agreed to be in 2008, the foreign minister said that during his visit to Washington last week he had told U.S. officials that Seoul had a strong desire to see the relocation proceed as quickly as possible.
But he ducked a direct answer about whether the target date of 2008 was still possible.
If Seoul is so committed to a quick relocation how does Minister Song explain the delays in removing the protesters at Camp Humphreys? How does he explain the attempt to stop the hand over of closed out USFK bases with the fraudulent pollution issue? How does he explain the cutting of the agreed amount of relocation money from this year’s budget. When South Korea signs an agreement promising $886 million to fund USFK next year and unilaterally decides to only deliver $772 million, how can Minister Song go on record saying the Korean government remains committed to a "quick" relocation of USFK.Â
The charade continues:
Last month, defense officials said the project could be held up until 2011 or even later because of delays in acquiring the land necessary for the new U.S. base.
"The issue of the timing of the relocation is not one that is being negotiated between South Korea and the United States," Mr. Song said yesterday, "but a matter that will be determined by the technical realities."
He said there was no friction between the United States and Korea over the issue. "This is a matter in which one side cannot say the other side is responsible. The defense ministries from both sides will consult on the timing of the relocation," he concluded.
Like the technical reality of not moving the protesters out in a timely manner or providing the agreed amount of funding? Then to say the Korean government is not responsible for the delay is utterly ridiculous when the Korean government’s foot dragging has been utterly predictable and totally obvious to all of us that have been following this issue. The Korean government for all their talk about wanting self reliance and the Yongsan move to happen are becoming increasingly exposed as the frauds and demagogues that they are.Â
It is clear that General Bell’s criticism has had little effect in the decision making process in Seoul yet. He may need to up the ante at some point. Is it to late to bring General Trexler out of retirement yet?
A while back — in your Gen. Leon Laporte's "Love the Alliance" mode — you railed against the those pesky civic groups — claiming they were the sole bad apples of Korean society. Now, you impugn the fine government representatives of the Korean people themselves.
Is this merely your usual go-along to get-along bandwagoning: simple parroting the latest USFK mood?
Or, do you now realize the Koreans are in the Biblical sense — WICKED?
How, did this conversion come about?
Yes, what you are seeing is the classic Korean method of pissing down USFK's back … and trying to convince USFK … it's merely typhoon season.
While our heroic General Bell is completely distracted "fighting" the wicked Koreans, his Commander-in-Chief is merging the US with Mexico and Canada. The reason: creating a Pan American Union has long been a Skull and Bones agenda (Bush and Kerry's highest allegiance); its very real implementation on behalf of the Council on Foreign Relations is now being reported on by mainstream news outlets.
But, you will only find General Bell MAD at his yellow savages. He is a kept man.
The Union is the meal ticket for Bush, Kerry's, and Hillary's hidden handlers: the agenda towards raping an entire continent of its resources and sovereign capabilities. Strengthening the borders is not on the Republican nor Democrat agenda here, the American Union is all about DISSOLVING the borders.
98% of American soldiers who swore to defend the US Constitution and its republic — don't care. They are too busy playing "Heroic Liberator" for Iraq and Korea. They also will "follow orders" and after gaining invaluable urban warfare skills … begin "policing" American citizens back home…as Homeland warriors for the North American Union.
The framework on which the American Union is being pegged is the NAFTA Super Highway, a four football-fields-wide leviathan that stretches from southern Mexico through the US up to Montreal Canada. Toll roads are to be placed upon existing roads in Security Prosperity Partnership agreements that bypasses Congress, agreements between the bureaucracies of the US and Mexican governments, to raise capital to build the Super highway that will go South of Texas and into Mexico.
Coupled with Bush's blanket amnesty program , which the Democrats in congress are set to approve this week as their first order of business, the Pan American Union is the final jigsaw piece for the total dismantling of America as we know it.
Korean-American soldiers naturally don't care … their true loyalty is race and motherland… they are volunteer American soldiers for money and position; yet, even our white-boy and black soldiers — like our GI Korea blogger — have no real concern for traditional America.
This patriotic indifference — fostered by a 'global citizen' identity — is the number on reason why an all-volunteer Army is bad for Americans. They are duped tools for government highjackers. America is being defended by BX privilege whores. Complete frauds. I suspect Bell — a career soldier– could care less about his own country, and merely squawks or weeps at the savages when the Pentagon tells him.
Does anyone think Bell is a real he-man?
I'm not sure what conversion you are talking about because I have been critical of the Korean government along with the anti-US hate groups ever since I started this blog.
I think Silly Sally needs a hug ..
GI,
Your critique has always been a "Love the Alliance" squeaking of the USFK party line. You complained, just like your generals; but, just like them … you NEVER laid out the full truth exposing the alliance as a complete sham. You did not point-out the high-level mutual corruption and exploitation… the abusive environment of double-think … the moral horrors that bullied Lt. Charles Campbell into a frustrated weep. I actually have compassion for Campbell, and wonder what "pressures" caused him to become livid before a media camera.
If you were a real man, you would face the top-down corruption in your own military… and start becoming a moral voice … instead of a military yes-man.
Having skipped every word SS wrote, I now proceed with my own thought…
The transfer of USFK air training out of Koon-ni is something to take note of in reference to what Gen Bell said recently and expectations on how Korea will respond.
When the US military comes out with several big time people all saying that the US will remove its air force assets from Korea and place them elsewhere because Korea will not follow through with promises to provide space and time for adequate training, it is about as big a threat as you can expect to hear.
And it got the Korean presses attention, and I am sure it got the attention of the Korean military and people in the government.
And they came out with what appeared via the press to be some serious movement on that front…
but what has been the end result so far?
Has the new testing equipment been installed? Has more time been slated to USFK planes and pilots? Are we really any closer to having US planes get the kind of training time and testing USFK has been demanding and to which Korea has agreed some time ago to provide?
This training range is a relatively simply issue that nonetheless touches on a huge larger issue.
(The range itself should be no big deal — but losing all US air units is a huge one.)
First of all, the area is already a military range used by the South Korean military. They aren't taking over civilian land or plopping a range down in an area where local residents haven't had to deal with a bombing range before.
Now, part of the problem might be (and I had not way of knowing with what little info you can get from the press) —– that it just isn't possible to give the USFK pilots the kind of hours of training the US wants AND the kind of hours the Korean military wants for its pilots.
But, even if that is the case, the Korean government PROMISING it will give the USFK pilots that time is a major issue.
The same with the relocation down in Pyongtaek – if the Korean government can't/won't provide the land and money to facilitate the transfer, it should not promise and continue to promise it will do so.
The US really does share some of the blame for this sitaution due to the way it has "endured" Korean feet dragging in the past.
As in a couple of other threads here and at Marmot's, the US in Korea has usually chosen to remain quiet (at least in public) and just "endure" when the Korean government has backtracked on deals and/or used anti-US sentiment in the general public to roll back or delay implementing agreements it has signed with the US.
The US should have learned some time ago that speaking out plainly and based on specifics is the best policy.
Don't threaten if you don't mean it. If the US is not really considering taking all its air assets out of Korea, it is counter-productive to threaten it, but if that is one of the real possibilities, going public with it is the right thing to do.
And if the US is seriously looking at alternatives like further troop cut backs and relocation of whole units out of Korea due to delays in the Pyongtaek relocation, it should say so openly, honestly, and frequently.