Operational Control Compromise
I love the wording of this compromise:
In a compromise, Korea and the United States agreed Friday to complete the handover of full wartime operational control of Korean troops to Seoul between Oct. 15, 2009 and March 15, 2012. The two sides issued a 14-point joint communiqué at the end of further negotiations after the 38th Security Consultative Meeting headed by Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung and his U.S. counterpart Donald Rumsfeld.
I’m willing to bet Rumsfeld is leaning towards Oct. 16, 2009. That’s between the two given dates, right? This is just a face saving measure for President Roh because he would look even weaker on national security than he already is if he appeared to be trying to kick USFK out the door as soon as possible. I just don’t see the operational control issue lingering to 2012, I’m betting on 2009.
[…] WTF? Please tell me this was a translation error. If he wants operational control so bad than why does he keep doing everything possible to delay it to include delaying the USFK consolidation at Camp Humphreys? If you make such damn good cell phones than give General Bell a call and let him know you want to take operational control in 2009 since you say you are ready. […]