U.S. Plans to Cut Troops in S.Korea by a Third

[Scooter24]

(clip)
SEOUL (Reuters) - The United States plans to cut its troops in South Korea by a third by the end of next year, part of a worldwide shift to use of higher technology in defense, the two countries said Monday.

Although communist North Korea's 1.1-million-strong armed forces dwarf the U.S. contingent of 37,500 troops, any reduction is closely watched because its symbolic deterrent value outweighs its numerical strength. Ally South Korea has 690,000 troops.

"U.S. officials told us last night that under their Global Defense Posture Review they are planning to reduce the number of U.S. troops here by 12,500 by the end of December 2005," Kim Sook, head of the ministry's North America bureau, told reporters.

That would include 3,600 U.S. soldiers already earmarked for deployment to Iraq from South Korea.

(more-story)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5359557&src=ActiveBuddy§ion=news

[radwriter0555]

1. First SOUND move made by the bush regime. There is no threat from NK

and never was.

[stopthegop]

4. do you mean there was never a threat to S Korea? eom

[demnan]

2. When you read this

you have to ask yourself, "What's going on here?"

What I think is the military is so extended we can't afford to be in S. Korea anymore and that may have dangerous consequences for both S. Korea and Japan. Iraq is sucking the life out of everything like a dementor.

[Scooter24]

5. Here is more news...

We are pulling out of Germany as well.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1739038

[LynneSin]

3. Unfortunately these folks will probably get shipped off to Iraq

:cry: