Well, that’s what some are saying. From the Chosun Ilbo:
U.S. National Public Radio (NPR) reported Thursday that U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld hasn’t excluded possibly taking U.S. troops stationed in Korea and other strategic hot spots around the world and placing them in Iraq in order to maintain troop levels in that country.
In an interview with NPR, Rumsfeld was asked if the U.S. had plans to remove troops from Korea or other hot spots in order to put additional forces in Iraq. The defense secretary answered that the U.S. would look for the troops to send to Iraq in the most appropriate places. He also made it clear that deterrence wouldn’t be weakened in any part of the world.
Rumsfeld was then asked if the additional men would come specifically from Korea, to which he answered that he hadn’t said where those troops would come from. If the U.S. takes troops from one region in the world, he said, some people would be taken back, believing that deterrence has been weakened. The U.S., however, would take other measures to ensure that deterrence in the particular region was not weakened, he said.
You can listen to the NPR interview with Rummy here. Korean-language Pressian cites a report by Japan’s Kyodo News mentioning that Rumsfeld met with Japanese lawmakers on Wednesday and said he would like to get issues concerning possible reductions in troops strength in Japan finished with, and the Japanese media is under the impression that as the war in Iraq is prolonged, U.S. troops in Korea, Japan and Germany would be the first to be transfered to the Middle East. With opposition to a dispatch of Korean troops to Iraq growing within government circles, the situation on the ground in Iraq worsening and the Korean dispatch delayed to at least July — if it happens at all –some are wondering whether the U.S. is planning to redeploy USFK units to combat sites in Iraq rather than having Seoul send 3,500 troops to Kurdish regions where they are not really needed.
I’m sure there will be more on this later.
2 Comments
The logic of this is is so overwhelming, and the pressure on us (US) so great, that as the military/ diplomatic/ political situation deteriorates in Iraq I think we will have to withdraw US ground forces from Korea and reconstitute them elsewhere as a strategic reserve/relief for the Mideast. IMO there’s no reserves left anywhere else.
I hope profoundly for this withdrawal to happen and that it serves as a wake-up call to our “allies”. Modern democracies such as South Korea, Japan, Germany, etc are perfectly capable of raising sufficient ground forces to defend themselves if they have the will, particularly if they don’t want to help us out in the mideast in any sizable way. We can support them in home defense from a distance with air and naval support (if they want it).
If this does happen, I will say that I don’t think that US combat infantry/armor/artillery battalions will be deployed straight from Korea to Iraq. My guess is that because of personnel assignment considerations, they would be redeployed back to US bases first and reorganized there, to be ready for relief duty in Iraq in 12 to 18 months.
Paul H.,
I am not sure that this will happen and if it does it will not happen any time soon. While I agree with you that the US Reserve Force is over taxed and there may be a need for some additional forces or at least for a sufficient rotational pool of forces to maintain current strength levels in Iraq, I do not see a substance withdraw of forces from Korea nor Japan at this time. Perhaps with the exception of some Marine elements out of Okinawa on a rotational basis. The government could raise the level of forces authorized throughout the services for example. Most of the services have met their re-enlistment goals each year about ?쩐 of the way through the year and max out new recruits as well. I do not think we need to bring back the draft and would oppose that at this time.
I do not agree with your statement of ???? . . overwhelming, and the pressure on us (US) so great, that as the military/diplomatic/political situation deteriorates in Iraq . . .???. I guess my problem is with the view of the situation in Iraq. I do not look at it as being all that bad at the moment as some have made it out to be. In talking with some Iraqi people there, through the magic of the internet, and with US personnel there, I feel that the media makes it sound worse than it is; but then again, good news does not sell the paper I guess.
I have no problem with a limited withdraw of US forces from the nations you indicated as well as other locations, but think that withdraw should be and will be based upon the needs of the US in securing what it feels are its international interest as well as with the consent of the nations in which these forces are deployed. I do not feel, but have been wrong before, that it will necessarily be due to the need of more forces in Iraq. Now I already know that some, in fact a lot of the forces that have been or will be in Iraq are stationed in Germany, but it was always the plan to use them in this area of the world. I agree to some extent on your views that a withdrawal (but in my opinion a limited one) would serve as a wake-up call to our ???밶llies??? that they will need to help in defense of their nations and our mutual interest more than in the past and that they can afford it. I think that it is a very complex set of thoughts that must be worked through for a realignment of US forces world-wide. This would have to look through the treaty obligations, current and future US perceived interest, cost of realignment, and cost of projecting forces forward if necessary and international cost in the case of possible power vacuum that would result from withdraws to name just a few things.
Just thought I would put in my quick thoughts on this. Have a lot more to say on this, but need to go at the moment. I just would not give up hope in Iraq yet and I see us being there for awhile.
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PING:
TITLE: USFK and Iraq
BLOG NAME: Budaechigae ?쨋??흸??째흸?째흹
Here’s the exact NPR quote that The Marmot and the South Korean Press (Cho - Joong - Hankook - Yonhap) are basing the speculation that USFK troops may be deployed to Iraq: INSKEEP: In order to get additional troops to
PING:
TITLE: USFK and Iraq
BLOG NAME: Budaechigae ?쨋??흸??째흸?째흹
Here’s the exact NPR quote that The Marmot and the South Korean Press (Cho - Joong - Hankook - Yonhap) are basing the speculation that USFK troops may be deployed to Iraq: INSKEEP: In order to get additional troops to
PING:
TITLE: To Read List
BLOG NAME: Chief Wiggles
Been doing a little surfing and so will leave you with some of my “must read” of the day. On the ongoing prison problem in Iraq. Michele has a wonderful post. So does John Moore. Finally, from someone who has…
PING:
TITLE: To Read List
BLOG NAME: Chief Wiggles
Been doing a little surfing and so will leave you with some of my “must read” of the day. On the ongoing prison problem in Iraq. Michele has a wonderful post. So does John Moore. Finally, from someone who has…
PING:
TITLE: To Read List
BLOG NAME: Chief Wiggles
Been doing a little surfing and so will leave you with some of my “must read” of the day. On the ongoing prison problem in Iraq. Michele has a wonderful post. So does John Moore. Finally, from someone who has…