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| China-Japan-Koreas | |
| U.S. Military Pledges to Support ROK in Attack | |
| 2010-12-10 | |
| The South Korean and U.S. militaries on Wednesday agreed to overhaul a response plan for localized provocations by North Korea so as to stress U.S. military support for operations led by Seoul. The previous plan had focused only on the South Korean role. Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen said, "South Korea is a sovereign nation that has every right to protect its people in order to effectively carry out that responsibility." It also has the "right to choose the method with which they respond," he added.
The two militaries will reportedly divide roles between them, with the South Korean military in charge of striking back at the sources of attack in the North and the U.S. military offering support like intelligence gathering. Mullen told reporters any country has the right to self-defense, and if any more provocation should occur, the response will be prompt and immediate. To a question about air strikes, he said, "To answer [the] question as to whether or not I asked South Korea to take air options off the table, I did not." Mullen suggested the U.S. will seek joint military exercises among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan to deal with North Korean provocations. He dismissed repeated Chinese calls for the resumption of six-party nuclear talks. "We first need an appropriate basis for the resumption of [six-party] talks. There is none so long as North Korea persists in its illegal and ill-advised and dangerous behavior," he said. Mullen called on China to take on greater responsibility, because "the Chinese have enormous influence over the North, influence that no other nation on earth enjoys." | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 Again, KIMMIE recognizes that iff CHINA doesn't take over the DPRK in WAR or NATIONAL COLLAPSE, it will do so economically in LT via the SINO-DPRK FTA SETTING UP MOSTLY CHIN-DOMINATED FREEPORTS IN NORTH KOREA. IMO, in Kimmie's mind, "DA TIME IS NOW", NOT LATER, to save North Korea for North Koreans = Koreans. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-12-10 00:57 |