U.S. 7th Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Garry R. Trexler has reportedly read the Seoul the riot act—”Give us an electronic weapons scoring system on Jikdo or we’re taking our toys elsewhere.” From the Korea Times:
In a forum at the office of the Kyonggi provincial government on Thursday, Lt. Gen. Garry R. Trexler, commander of the U.S. 7th Air Force, hinted that his airmen would move out of the Korean Peninsula unless that problem is resolved “within 30 days,” reports said.
The public affairs office at the 7th Air Force based in Osan, Kyonggi Province, “neither confirmed or denied” the reports.
The remarks were construed as an “ultimatum” to the South, which has failed to keep its promise to offer a new, exclusive U.S. range for strafing and bombing exercises with an electronic scoring system.
The Jikdo plan has come under fire from local residents and, of course, civic groups.
Shame it had to come to this. Korean conservatives are going to blast away at the government for mishandling the Korea-U.S. alliance; the Chosun Ilbo wasted no time in mentioning Trexler’s ultimatum in an editorial slamming the Roh administration’s regional diplomacy. Meanwhile, South Korea’s anti-American left will slam Washington for “pressuring” Seoul. The Roh administration will probably cave, but in so doing attempt to spin it as yet another sacrifice South Korea has made to please its ungrateful ally. Which, as an opportunity to “preserve” the alliance while promoting anti-American sentiment, might actually work for Roh’s people, depending on how skillfully they play it.
4 Comments
Because the Roh team is known for its skillful play.
It is posible that the US has been looking at a political correct way to exit South Korea for a long time. Remember the Carter days.
. . . because the Roh team is known for its shizzle-matosis metamophis while playing the international smegmoid anti-viginalingus faction for all its worth.
I’m all for hardball. This is how you have to deal with idiots like this.