U.S. Would Send 690,000 Troops to Korea If War Breaks Out: Report

Yonhap News Worldservice (S Korea) ^

[RCW2001]

Seoul, Dec. 27 (Yonhap) -- The United States would deploy some 690,000 troops to augment the 37,000-strong American military presence already here if war should break out on the peninsula, a Defense Ministry report showed Friday.

   The augmented forces would comprise of Army divisions, carrier battle groups with highly-advanced fighters, tactical fighter wings, and marine expeditionary forces in Okinawa and on the U.S. mainland, according to the "1998-2002 Defense Policy." The ministry published the report instead of a white paper.

[ExSoldier]

1. The North Koreans are too crazy to pay attention to our rhetoric. The only thing they understand like most penny ante dictators (Saddam) is force.

2. 690,000 troops is just about what KLINTON gutted our military by in his initial RIF (Reduction In Force) I know because I was a very senior captain victimized by that rape. I'd be a senior 05 or maybe even a full 06 by now.

I've been offered a major's commission in the national guard, but some health problems will preclude that for about a year to get done with surgery, etc. But I and they left the door open for a year down the line. IF they still need me.

3. I would tend to agree that they'd get the numbers if they recalled the troops and officers they forced out over the last ten-twelve years. Most would jump at the chance as long as they didn't need to worry about humpin' a rucksack all over the world. Spirit is willing but many's the back and flesh that have grown weaker...lol

[Michael81Dus]

Sorry, both of you are wrong.
Many people here believe, that the Treaty of Versailles was the root of 01/30/1933. The Treaty was too brutal for the weak economy in Germany. Hitler was mostly elected by unemployed, workers, simple people. Eisenhower and Marshal have learned from that Treaty, they wanted a Germany which became voluntary a friend of the Allies - and they got it. The day the US bombers threw food on Berlin was the day the US has won a new ally.

Not oppressing, but helping the defeated enemy was the right way - and this is what we do today in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and what we will do in Iraq. Showing strength until the enemy is weak - and then rebuild it with your ideas but make sure that the defeated accept it.

The Versailles Treaty was the worst peace treaty in worlds history. Germany lost one third of its territory (even with German ethnic majority), it had to pay 5 billions Goldmark p.a. until 1989 (70 years, the paying stopped in the 20´s), it had to deliver coal to France and to give up the Saar area for 15 years ... to name the important facts of that "treaty".

Michael

P.S.: WWII started in 1937 in the South-Pacific-region.

[ExSoldier]

Good for you kid! YOU embody the "Spirit of America!"

However, the Haitian immigrants I teach in high school would beat feet back to the poverty of Haiti so fast there'd be a sonic boom over South Florida. THAT'S why I'm against the influx of immigrants who want the benefits of American residency without having to make sacrifices.

I tell 'em straight out to not wait...GO NOW and don't let the door hit 'em in the butt on the way out and don't come back, either! Not a very popular attitude for a public school teacher to take, but my faculty knows better than to get me started....lol

[montag813]

Why not just let the two sides fight it out? Who gives a crap about South Korea? Most people there hate our guts anyway, and we gain no eceonomic advantage from them. It would cut our exports big time, and some of those stupid commie S. Korean students we always see cursing America and rioting would die off. No one would miss those rabble rousers. We can use daisycutters and special forces to destroy any nuclear presence when its all said and done.

[SamAdams76]

You make some good points and I agree that the money part of the Versailles treaty was unreasonable. The Germans ended up borrowing the money from the U.S. and got so deep in debt that the Weimar Republic was eventually brought down due to hyperinflation.

However, where the Allies went wrong was not enforcing the disarmament side of the treaty. They continued to allow the Germans to build bigger and bigger ships in violation of the treaty and to build an air force, which was also forbidden. Then they allowed the Germans to begin reoccupying the Rhine and other areas.

They had it backwards. They should have forgiven the monetary part of it and enforced the more important disarmament parts of the treaty.

The U.S. did a great thing after WW2. They were kind to Germany and Japan after the war and they ended up not only emulating our way of life but became the second and third largest economies in the world in the process.

[Charles Martel]

Korea is commonly regarded as rugged infantry terrain that invites neither mobile ground warfare nor heavy air bombardment, but North Korea has assembled large armored forces that are critical to exploiting breakthroughs, and these forces would pass down narrow corridors that are potential killing zones for U.S. airpower.

Sounds like the very scenario that brought about the design and construction of these:

[Republic of Texas]

Wish we would do that.

[Michael81Dus]

No discussion, it was a fault that the French and Brits didn´t interfere when Hitler marched into the Rhineland 1935. It is reported, that Hitler bluffed and wasn´t able to start a war against both nations - he had withdrawed if the Allies called to do so... imagine how the world have developed!

[RightWhale]

I don't think we could get enough troops to SK in time to prevent the fall of Seoul

Seoul would be toast right away. The question is how far N Kor will advance down the penninsula before they run out of gas.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Now....we're going to bail out one of the richest countries in Asia, which hates us. Meanwhile, things are beginning to fall apart in Afghanistan. More evidence that there is a fundemental conflict between world policing and the defense of the U.S. Personally, I think that national defense should be the priority.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Re: A Pre-requisite for voting is prior military service, membership to an active ROTC unit with signed contracts, or membership in the Peace Corps.

Heinlein laid this out in Starship Troopers (The Novel, not the film.) in 1959. Make more and more sense as time goes by.

[Republic of Texas]

I'm sick of this BIG OIL charge. If the US wanted to control the world's oil supply, we could. It would take about a month. We could've done this at any time in the last 40 years. We haven't. We do want to ensure the free flow of oil at market prices. That promotes peace and stability. If you are against that, then yes we are evil. Hell, we allowed Saudi Arabia to nationalize their oil industry, that WE developed. If we ever wanted to control oil for BIG OIL, that was the perfect excuse. Quit being a tool for the left and learn some new phrases. Even parrots have a bigger vocabulary than that.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Re: A Pre-requisite for voting is prior military service, membership to an active ROTC unit with signed contracts, or membership in the Peace Corps.

Heinlein laid this out in Starship Troopers (The Novel, not the film.) in 1959. Makes more and more sense as time goes by.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Chamberlain in hell eh? Poor old Neville can't get no respect. This was the man, after all, who Churchill loyally supported prior to Munich and who also used his entire administration to rapidly build up Britian's defense.

If anyone is burning in hell it is FDR, the man who turned back ships of Jewish refugees as they tried to come to American shores.

[thepitts]

The United States would deploy some 690,000 troops

Maybe, if they had them.

[bert]

Perhaps we are going to hire most of these troops from China and attack from the North. While the mercenaries are attacking our 35000 will hold the line in the South.

[crz]

Did not mention Red China. Red China will come to North Koreas aid in a heartbeat..problem is they dont want to as of now because they are not done salting the two ports in Panama with military supplies as well as Cuba and the Carribean Island they have. Then Red China may not be ready on the North American continent. Question is, how many do you think they have within this country to upset us when that war starts?..1 millon people? 2 million? My guess its lots.
Yes we could win a war in Korea, but not against them and the Red Chinese. Now, if we have to deal with North Korea in the same time frame as Iraq and Afganistan, and the Red Chinese turn those 1 million "advisors" loose in East Africa and move towards Israel, then they start it out in Central America all in the same time and do subversive sabotage in this country, then we got trouble. And thats what they are up to.

[rmlew]

I think we should build up 2 new divisions now.

[LibFreeUSA]

I see no 'national security' reason to send even one more single soldier to protect the South Korean penninsula. We can provide whatever 'cover' and logistical support necessary that they may need, but after the way the South Koreans expressed their resentment and lack of appreciation of our current troops there, well THEY can FIGHT for their own safety on the ground!!