Tuesday, January 26, 2010

U.S. General Defends South Korea Policy - WSJ.com

U.S. General Defends South Korea Policy - WSJ.com: "The top U.S. military commander in South Korea on Monday sought to rebut what he called misperceptions about the transition of wartime control of Korean troops from American officers, reassuring the nation that it wouldn't have to fight on its own in the event of a war with the North.
'We are still responsible to come and help defend this great country,' Army Gen. Walter Sharp said. 'And what I'm going to do is to take this year and educate the folks of South Korea as to what these transitions mean.'
Some South Koreans also worry another change the U.S. is making—extending typical troop assignments to up to three years and allowing more personnel to bring their families with them—will lead to a reduction in the roughly 28,000 U.S. troops currently stationed there."