It looks like there are problems once again with 2ID gate guards:

A former Camp Casey unit policeman says some South Korean security guards at the installation slept and drank on the job, routinely left an entrance barrier open, and on one occasion, let a drunken soldier with a knife leave the installation.

U.S. Army Spc. Sung Jun Kim, a tenant unit soldier provided to the garrison to assist at the gates, said he observed “gross infractions” by South Korean security guards.

“The quality of the work they’re putting out — it really threatens the safety of the soldiers who are stationed there,” said Kim, who served at Camp Casey from August 2006 to August 2007. “They are more of a danger than a safety to the base.”

Kim said he contacted Stars and Stripes because post leadership did not respond to his complaints. He said he had waited more than six weeks and had never been asked for a statement.  [Ashley Rowland, Stars & Stripes]

When I last left Korea in 2005 I was not impressed with the overall quality of the gate guards who were well known for taking bribes to allow people on post to gamble until they got busted.  Also the guards on the smaller camps were definitely less than adequate.  There was times I would drive to Camp Castle North and the guards would be asleep in the guard shack or not even bother to check IDs and just wave us through. 

When I went back to visit Korea this past June I noticed a new company had been hired to take over the security job for the 2ID camps.  I found the guards to be better than the last security company in my limited dealings with them, but apparently at least with the night shift over at Camp Casey, there are still some issues. 

I think this month couldn’t make things any more clearer what the state of relations between the US and South Korea are currently at:

In a rare diplomatic event, Grand National Party presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak is to have a meeting with President George W. Bush next month in Washington. It is the first time since 1987 that a U.S. president will officially meet an opposition presidential candidate prior to an election in Korea.
It is “highly probable that the meeting between the two men will occur on Oct. 15 or 16,” said Lee’s spokesman Park Hyeong-joon in announcing the unusual event yesterday. [Joong Ang Ilbo]

What is most funny about this is the condemnation this news has received from the Blue House:

The Blue House seemed uncomfortable with the news. There has frequently been tension between Roh’s liberal Blue House and the tough conservatism of the Bush White House.
A senior aide to Roh scoffed at the announcement, calling it “pro-American flunkeyism.”

This is coming from the same administration that is meeting with Kim Jong-il this month to pay tribute to a nation that threatens military invasion of the country, kidnaps South Korean citizens, launched terrorist attacks against South Korean targets, murders military personnel, and on top of all this imprisons hundreds of thousands of its own people in forced labor camps.

Yet this government has the nerve to condemn Lee for visiting the president of the nation that just happened to be directly responsible for the very existence of South Korea and continues to guarantee economic and national security of the nation?

The useful idiots this weekend sure didn’t have much of a turn out for their anti-US protest:

An unexpectedly small anti-U.S. military protest turned into a large shoving match Saturday afternoon but ended without serious injuries.

At least one anti-U.S. military protester briefly attacked U.S. soldiers entering Camp Casey’s main gate; however, the attackers were subdued and the soldiers were not injured, base security officials said.

Between 75 and 150 protesters attended at various times from 4 p.m. to 6:40 p.m., far below the 1,000 that had been expected last week.  [Erik Slavin, Stars & Stripes]

So does anyone think that these protesters who attacked the soldiers walking into the gate will be charged with any crimes?  Now just imagine if a group of soldiers went and attacked some Koreans walking into building somewhere, what do you think would happen to them? 

It is also important to remember that these protesters are from the North Korean fifth column Hanchongryun, who are protesting over the Beauty Shop Bandit case.  They are pissed because the local police will not file arson charges against a suspected GI because there is not enough evidence.  If they are so pissed off about not having arson charges brought forth than why aren’t they protesting in front of the Dongducheon city hall than?  Plus Hanchongryun is demanding a change in the Status of Forces Agreement.  What change they want they never specify but I can assume they want a change where GIs go to prison whether they have a fair trial or not.  They could cares less about the findings of the local authorities, they just want mob justice against the bastard GIs. 

Anyway their protest was so small the local Korean merchants didn’t even bother having their own counter-protest:

Members of the pro-U.S. military Dongducheon Merchant Association observed the protesters but did not organize a formal counter protest.

It is good to see that the idiots at Hanchongryun are going out of style.  Why can’t Roh Moo-hyun takes these clowns with him to Pyongyang this week and leave them there? 

Some would say this is a sign of success in Iraq:

Deaths among American forces and Iraqi civilians fell dramatically last month to their lowest levels in more than a year, according to figures compiled by the U.S. military, the Iraqi government and The Associated Press.

The decline signaled a U.S. success in bringing down violence in Baghdad and surrounding regions since Washington completed its infusion of 30,000 more troops on June 15.

A total of 64 American forces died in September — the lowest monthly toll since July 2006.  [Steven Hurst, AP]

Just a few months ago critics were claiming the surge was a failure due to increased casualty rates.  I never jumped on that bandwagon just like I’m not jumping on this one. I never felt that US casualties are a big dynamic of success because if this is a sign of success than the military should just keep everyone on post and then the military would have great success in regards to casualties. The fact of the matter is that casualties fluctuate according to the amount of people on the ground and the operations going on.  The surge brought in more soldiers doing offensive operations which is why the casualties increased.  The casualties dropped because the success of the offensive operations in a number of areas like Ramadi has created a sustainable peace.  This is not true in every area US forces are now operating and offensive operations are still on going. 

I expect casualties to increase probably early next year when I suspect US forces will have to take on the Shiite militias namely the Mahdi Army.  Right now the US military is mopping up Al Qaeda and establishing indigenous security forces.  I don’t know, but I suspect these operations against Al Qaeda will continue through December.  After December I fully expect operations against the Shiite militias will begin because major Sunni militias such as the 1920’s Revolution Brigade that are currently working with US forces will never reconcile or disarm until the Shiite militias are crushed.  Just think if you were a Sunni would you want to disarm and reconcile with the ruling Shiite government when your rival militias are still armed and can easily drive up the highway and kill you?  There will never be reconciliation as long as Shia militias are allowed to operate freely.  A confrontation with  the militias is coming and thus casualties will rise and you can expect the usual suspects will come out and claim it is a sign of the US military’s eminent failure. 

Here is a better dynamic of success to measure success in Iraq with:

The decline in Iraqi civilian deaths was even more dramatic, falling from 1,975 in August to at least 988 last month, a decline of 50 percent, according to an AP tally. The civilian death toll has not been so low since June 2006, when 847 Iraqis died.

This dynamic is a way to determine the quality of security of the local population.  Obviously less civilians are being killed when sustainable peace is being established in various sectors.  Something else to keep in mind is that often times killings that get trumpeted by the media as "sectarian violence" is actually every day crime.  Iraq has plenty of murderers, rapists, and thieves just like America and it is easier for them to get away with their crimes in Iraq when the local police force in many areas is not competent.

Another thing to keep in mind in regards to civilian casualties are the massive truck bomb killings.  Just think if the truck bombings in the remote Yazidi area of Iraq had been intercepted?  That bombing killed over 500 people and would have made the August civilian death toll much lower.  However, Al Qaeda was doing everything they could in August to kill as many civilians as possible before General Petraeus’ report to Congress.  Thus Al Qaeda began targeting remote farming areas that probably have never even seen an American presence before in order to simply kill people to keep the civilian death toll high and the media reporting it. 

There is plenty of nuance and analysis that needs to be done in regards to casualties however critics and supporters tend to do little of this and take anything as gospel that confirms what they already believe. 

Looks like the militias groups responsible for the violence in Darfur are sending a message to any countries thinking of sending potential United Nations peacekeepers next year:

Ten African Union soldiers were killed and 50 were missing after armed men launched an assault on an AU base in Darfur, the worst attack on AU troops since they deployed in Sudan’s violent west in 2004.

The AU called it a "deliberate and sustained" assault by some 30 vehicles, which overran and looted the peacekeepers’ camp on Saturday night.

Sudan’s army and Darfur rebel movements initially blamed each other for the strike on the Haskanita base in southeastern Darfur. But one rebel source said the attack was carried out by breakaway rebel forces who wanted a seat at peace talks due to begin on October 27 in Libya.  [Opheera McDoom, Reuters]

Back in August with much fanfare it was announced that the UN would send up to 26,000 peacekeepers to Darfur.  Everyone patted themselves on the back and called this a great thing.  However, if you look at the fine print there is no guarantee that 26,000 peacekeepers will even materialize because UN member countries have to volunteer to send soldiers to Darfur.  How many countries are going to volunteer soldiers for the Darfur mission that risk those soldiers being killed?  You come, we will kill you, that is the message the militias are sending to potential countries now thinking about sending peacekeepers. 

Nations that do end up sending peacekeepers anyway will instead be more concerned about force protection of their own forces than actually securing the population.  In the end little will change.  Darfur is a perfect example of the weakness of the UN because there is no peace to keep if their was never a fight to establish peace in the first place. 

If you are wondering why the Koreans have been trying so hard to have the United States normalize relations with North Korea well now you have your answer:

The Korea Land Corporation has drawn up a plan to develop several North Korean cities as special economic zones and industrial, trade and tourism bases, it emerged Thursday. […]

The new report lists detailed strategies to develop Nampo, Haeju, Hamheung, Wonsan, Shinuiju, Najin and Sunbong as key industrial, logistics and tourism bases. The report identifies the six cities are those that can be first designated as special economic zones when North Korea opens up. [Chosun Ilbo]

This is really no surprise and relates back to South Korea’s claims of wanting to implement a "North Korean Marshall Plan".  Such a plan is not possible unless the economic sanctions implemented by the United States for a variety of reasons to include North Korea being a state sponsor of terrorism are dropped.  Here is what anti-Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung had to say about this:

“Without the normalization of the U.S.-North Korea ties, such as the abolishment of a U.S. law banning trade with North Korea and the North’s removal from a U.S. list naming states who sponsor terrorism, inter-Korean economic cooperation programs will face difficulties,” he said.

Pyongyang was put on the list in 1988 after its agents blew up a South Korean passenger plane, killing all 115 people aboard. [Korea Times]

It is amazing how easily Lee can just blow off the fact that North Korea has bombed a civilian airliner not to mention kidnapped South Korean citizens that are still imprisoned in North Korea, and killed members of the South Korean government in a past bombing attack in Burma.  Truthfully I’m not surprised considering this is the same guy that believes there is "no concrete evidence of human rights violations in the North".

Libya was only removed from the US state sponsored terrorism list when they accounted for and paid compensation to the victims’ families of the Pan Am bombing over Scotland.  What has North Korea ever done to account for their past terrorist attacks?  Nothing except more aggression and belligerence to get people to appease them, which is what all of this is.  Personally I find it repugnant that the South Korean government will do nothing to demand the return of their kidnapped citizens from North Korea and leaving this up to 66 year old grandmas to launch rescue missions.

Such a plan will do nothing to solve the fundamental problem of poverty in North Korea, which is the regime.  Notice the last sentence in the above quote, "when North Korea opens up".  You can give them fertilizer and food, you can pave all the roads in North Korea, and build them factories, but poverty will remain because it is in the regime’s interest to keep the people poor.  Opening up of the country would ultimately lead to the end of the regime. 

So expect North Korea to play nice in their attempt to influence the upcoming South Korean presidential election, but when the time comes for them to make real change the belligerence will return and the South Korean leftists will blame it all on the United States anyway.

UPDATE: The Marmot has even more about these banners.

__________________________________________

These photos on EFL Geek just goes to show how bad xenophobia in Korea can be:

Apparently these racist banners have to do with farmers being pushed off their land due to a massive development happening on Yong-yu and Moo-eui islands. Yong-yu and Moo-eui islands are now connected to the new Incheon International Airport by a land bridge and are being quickly developed with hotels and businesses that cater to the airport. This development in question is being spearheaded by a German company called Kempinski.

I have to assume that “Jewish white bastard” in question Jack Rosen is probably the Kempinski man in charge of the development. The “May Anh” on the third banner is actually Mayor Ahn of Incheon who is one of the “traitors working for rich white bastards”. What I find interesting about this is that when the Korean government made farmers relocate to expand Camp Humphreys, massive protests and violent confrontations instigated by NGOs ensued. Big business comes and forcibly relocates farmers off of two whole islands and the NGOs could care less. Just imagine if it was a USFK base being put on these islands what the reaction would be? Where’s the priest when you need him?

Anyway if you are going to the airport any time soon and you are a “white bastard” especially a “Jewish white bastard” you might want to avoid the Yong-yu and Moo-eui areas.

HT: Gangwon Notes

This is interesting:

Speaking through the translator, the commander assures the sheik that everything possible is being done to improve the situation and he and his men will treat him with the utmost respect.

This situation could take place in any number of towns in Iraq or Afghanistan today. The only difference here is that the temperature is hovering near freezing, a far cry from the stifling heat typical of many parts of the Mideast.

This is counterinsurgency training for the 1st Stryker Brigade, 25th Infantry Division stationed at Fort Wainwright. From Sept. 10, and continuing through today, more than 600 Strykers are participating in training exercises with 100 members of the Indian Army at the Donnelly Training Area near Fort Greely. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner] [Via: Soldier’s Dad]

It is good to see the increasing interaction with the Indian military.  India is the world’s largest democracy, has an enormous and well trained military of 1.3 million active duty soldiers, and it’s own Islamic extremist threats.  Considering this, it only seems natural that our two countries would begin to gravitate towards one another. 

I found the comments of the commander of the Indian contingent interesting:

Military officials touted the training as a rare opportunity for India and the United States to share tactics in dealing with the global war on terror. Indian Col. Birender Singh Dalal said the training allowed his men to learn more about the United States’ mobility and firepower, but there are few differences between them.

“All militaries in the world think alike,” he said. “We are 90 percent similar.”

Some members of the 1-25th will be going to India in the next few weeks to train in counterinsurgency exercises there.

I think he should add that well trained militaries in the world think alike because I have seen some militaries that think nothing like what we in the US would consider a competent military force.  I have never worked with the Indian Army before but from everything I hear and read they are a well trained and disciplined force that I hope I get a chance to work with in the future. 

The Koreas
–  Would burkahs be popular in Korea?
–  Good article about Korea’s glass ceiling for female workers.
–  10% of Korean kids are now obese and guess what’s to blame?  Of course foreign food. 
–  Finally the Yangpa has a new posting.  Go read it now. 
–  Korea’s Demi Moore. 

Japan
–  This story of teaching English in Japan should be familiar to Korean English teachers.
–  This Japanese killer of a foreign English is still on the loose in Japan.
–  Japanese reaction to Burmese military killing of  Japanese photographer. 
–  Finding the truths about the WW II mass suicides on Okinawa.
–  I had no idea Tommy Lee Jones was such a famous advertiser in Japan.

China
–  China’s Burma shame.
–  Here is something you don’t see everyday, golden Chinese underwear.
–  Rampant Chinese copyright infringement of global amusement parks.
–  Look at this river 500 Chinese students have to cross every day to go to school.

Milblogs
–  Murder charges dropped on SF snipers.
–  The new lefty talking point the Aznar memo is as usual not what they claim it is.
–  Did Rush Limbaugh step in it or not?  Make sure to read the comments. Definitely read this as well.
–  Go over to the Tank for some great reports on his embed with the Lebanese Army.

Forward Deployed
–  America’s Elite Universities Failing in History and Civics
–  Footage of Australian Soldiers in Action in Afghanistan
–  Burma’s Fight for Freedom
–  The Blackwater Blame Game
–  The Disenfranchised Military Voter

Some people may find this surprising but if you have been following what has been happening on America’s college campuses lately this shouldn’t be surprising at all:

In fall 2005, researchers at the University of Connecticut’s Department of Public Policy (UConnDPP), commissioned by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute’s (ISI) National Civic Literacy Board, conducted a survey of some 14,000 freshmen and seniors at 50 colleges and universities. Students were asked 60 multiple-choice questions to measure their knowledge in four subject areas: America’s history, government, international relations, and market economy. The disappointing results were published by ISI in fall 2006 in The Coming Crisis in Citizenship: Higher Education’s Failure to Teach America’s History and Institutions. Seniors, on average, failed all four subjects, and their overall average score was 53.2%. [Civic Literacy Report]

Make sure you read the entire link because the findings are astounding.  Harvard University showed their eliteness by having their seniors score the highest on the test by barely passing with a D+ average of 69.6%.  I agree totally with JD Johannes view of these findings:

The universities defended themselves on the grounds they teach analysis rather than facts but there is problem with their defense–without a grounding in facts, what good is the ability to engage in proper analysis?

The failure of graduates of elite universities to understand the most basic and established facts explains much of the current debate on Iraq and the war on terror. [Outside the Wire]

Make sure to read the rest because he makes some excellent points about education in America’s colleges and how that relates to opinions made about the war in Iraq. 

You can take the test yourself and see how you compare to America’s so called academic elite at Harvard.  Just for the record I scored a 83.33% and a couple of the questions I missed I shouldn’t have if I read the questions more carefully.