South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper, quoting an unnamed US diplomatic source, says that President Trump is considering withdrawing 4,000 US troops from South Korea, and suggested the possibility of pulling out entirely, if South Korea doesn’t pay massive cost-sharing increases that Trump is demanding.
The US and South Korea agreed to a $920 million annual cost-sharing payment earlier this year, but Trump is now demanding $4.7 billion. South Korean officials have balked at that, and this week’s talks ended almost immediately with the US delegation leaving.
South Korean officials had previously downplayed the seriousness of the US demands, saying there was no sign the US was actually going to leave. It’s unsurprising, then, that US officials are leaking things that would benefit US negotiations to South Korea’s press .
US special representative to North Korea Stephen Biegun also bolstered this position, saying that he wants US troops to stay in South Korea but that “that doesn’t mean anybody gets a free ride.”
All of this suggests the US is going to push for Trump’s full $4.7 billion demand, though with South Korea having made defense agreements with China in recent days, the South Koreans are probably viewing US support as less and less vital.
In the 1940’s this was called protection money. This is South Korea’s chance to break free and join Asia.
What does “join Asia” even mean? The Chinese, Koreans and Japanese all despise each other.
Nations & individuals around the world despise their next-door neighbors. So what?
I should say rejoin Asia and that’s their problem
Come on S Korea, you KNOW he’s bluffing … call his bluff. Worst case, you’re rid of some dangerous guests.
Moon Jae-in, here’s a suggestion… use that protection money you’ve been paying the USA all these years to build the Trans-Korea railroad. Then you can link up with Russia and China in the New Silk Road initiative and end the odious sanctions on North Korea. You can give all those US troops an eviction notice and Kim Jung-Un will be your best bud for life.
I second the motion, Thomas Carlson. Moon Jae-in can use that protection money he’s been paying to the US all those years, to build the Trans-Korea railroad .. Then he can link up with China and Russia in the New Silk Road initiative and end the odious sanctions on N. Korea. Finally, he can give all those US troops an eviction notice, and Kim Jong-un will, indeed, be your best friend for life;)
That’s a great suggestion you made;) Bravo!!!!!
US imperialist occupation troops squat like poisonous toads in The Land of Morning Calm. Koreans want them gone forever.
America’s largest overseas base – zero chance it leaves.
Transfer to Saudi Arabia.
Anywhere but here….
Yes, they will NEVER be brought home to actually defend America. THAT is completely against our foreign policy and “defense” objectives.
Forever troops.
There is a significant development which a.w. must report and analyze. It is reported and analyzed by the Asia Times. President Trump has declined to attend the Asian security conferences for a second year in a row. He has not sent Vice President Pence or Secretary of State Pompeo instead. He has sent Defense Secretary Esper to represent us/me. Why?
Asia Times: US policy vs. East Asia is now driven by the Pentagon. True?
This has been Trump’s plan all along. Make the asking price is so high, they’ll have to say no and we can leave. Unless of course if they accept getting fleeced, then that was the plan all along and we can stay. If they turn to China, we’ll get kicked out, sanction both countries to the teeth and then that was the plan all along. All plans are covered and which ever one turns out to be the one that fits, then that was the plan all along. MAGA.
Nope, after a near 70 year free ride, it’s over.
Pay the full freight or we leave, either way it’s a win.
Art of the Deal.
True non interventionists wouldn’t think staying, regardless how much we can extort, would be considered a “win”. But I forget you are a neocon at times.
You obviously don’t understand making a deal,
it’s all on SKorea.
You are pretending troop deployments, and defense policy are based on fiscal responsibility? Why not just audit the Pentagon? Trillions there to be fiscally responsible with.
The goal is to get out of SK,
and what better way to do it than price yourself out?
In ships….
Unless we can get the $4.7 billion. Then the goal changes. You did say that would be a “win”.
Yup, no cost forward defense.
So, the goal isn’t really “to get out of South Korea”? It’s as if you don’t remember what you said an hour after you say it.
The goal is to get out.
Patience please.
We don’t want to make that decision for them.
They can chose but,
the costs will continue to mount going forward.
At some point,
they will assume the responsibility on their own.
Stop backtracking. You contradicted yourself. It’s right there.
It’s not hard to understand. I don’t want any deal. I want us to leave. Period. I’m a non interventionist regardless of how much protection money we can extort while making a “deal”.
Well that’s nice, but the world doesn’t operate that way.
It is important that the SK decide their future.
Pay the freight if you want us to risk for your defense,
or chart your own way.
I know the world doesn’t operate that way, that’s the problem. People like you accept the status quo as though it’s a necessity.
Up and leaving SK to the tender mercies of NK and the ChiCom’s,
is bad policy.
However, recognizing the 70 year drain on the US taxpayer,
which would continue ad infinitum, must be ended.
The SK’s need to decide THEIR future,
carry more economic skin in the game or we will have to leave.
Their choice.
No other president or candidate you can name would have the nads to finally develop an end game. Of course you’re against it, because it isn’t just “cut and run”.
The SK can pay (knowing costs will continue to rise over time) or
they can start building their own military counter weight.
It’s a beautiful thing.
And here comes the neocon talking points. Again. And I haven’t heard “cut and run” for awhile. Dick Cheney lives on.
“Cut and run”, that is your position.
Sure, if that males you feel better, Dick.
Truth always makes me feel better, Bernie.
You mean that book trump didn’t write ?
Get them out of SK and he will send them to Saudi Arabia to fight Iran….the art of war.
Not likely,
send them to SA or the region for maximum pressure on Iran,
possible.
So does your “new foreign policy” extend everywhere ? All troops must be paid for by their host countries ? I think Ghengis Khan invented that one.
Donno, but the Sauds are paying their freight as I understand it.
Re. NK, standing guard for 70 years has it’s limits.
PS: we have never had a national debt and deficits high than today’s.
Well, we will wait for that announcement of payment from Kashogan. Has there been a payment yet ? Why not ?
The idea that they are paying for 3000 or so troops is bs. Don’t we have 2 carrier groups there ? Other naval assets, air groups, spec ops, satellites, drones….suppose they even paid for the gas when a wing of b-2s deployed there ? C’mon, you can’t possibly fall for this bs….
Trump campaigned on the proposition that various rich nations should pay the US for the protections we provide.
I don’t know the status of the Saudi situation but we do know he is laying down a $4.7 billion dollar bill for continuing the SK gig.
Why?
I believe he is beginning the weening process for them.
Look, it is not complicated. End the war, put em on boats. SK is not nearly as fearful of a northern invasion, as they are a US preemptive strike which would cause that war. Your guy doesn’t seem to have any problem escalating war everywhere, just can’t sell me he has any intention of drawing down anywhere. Just stringing his base along for a ride. As I have said for 3 years now, let me know when a troop comes home from anywhere.
I think he doesn’t want to throw them to the wolves,
so he is following a plan of gradual withdrawal.
It’s really up to the SK
as to how fast or slow the process will be.
But the overriding fact is $4.7 billion is highly unpalatable to them,
and that’s good.
“It’s really up to the SK”….no, it isn’t. Never has been, never will be. What you propose is this, US troops will stay in the trenches, until the pentagon accountants figure out who is going to pay them. Having had a construction buisness, if I didn’t know who was paying, I sent the workers home, then followed them. I thought trump was a buisness guy ?
Sorry Dave, this isn’t “construction”,
it’s has been a security-blanket gift, till now,
we are in transition to becoming a security business.
If the costumer can’t afford it, we pack up and leave,
their choice.
They talk a game complaining the US is a problem, OK, they can do it themselves or, pay the freight.
It’s a beautiful thing, just 40 years late.
“Security blanket gift” right. Like our “full spectrum dominance” is a gift to the world. You trumpsters are something else.
All expense paid “gift”,
if we were not there
SK would look like NK today.
Only blind men can’t see that.
You can pretend you know what woulda happened…means less than nothing.
“if we were not there SK would look like NK today.”
That might have been true as late as the late 1980s.
But for the last 30 years or so, the North hasn’t had a prayer of winning a war with South Korea, even completely absent direct US assistance, unless it had direct assistance of its own from China.
” … unless it had direct assistance of its own from China.”
NK would not dare to lift a finger without China’s consent.
I generally discount claims that Trump is playing 6-dimensional non-interventionist chess.
But let’s suppose for a moment that that’s what’s up.
If Trump just announced a US withdrawal from South Korea, he’d have all of Congress right up his rectum about it, and the South Koreans could plausibly argue that he was encouraging a North Korean invasion.
But if he just presents the South Koreans with a big bill and pulls a few troops out to show he’s serious, a couple of things happen.
One is that it’s the South Koreans, not Trump, who’s to blame. Hey, he OFFERED US defense services, he just wanted South Korea to pay the freight.
The other is that the South Koreans have even more of an incentive both to keep making nicer with the North and to start beefing up their own military in case Trump’s serious.
My guess is that if both China and the US stayed out of the matter, Kim would never invade because he knows if he did the ROK Marines would be patrolling the streets of Pyongyang, marching back and forth past his hanging corpse, within a month.
Bingo.
However I don’t think it’s six dimensional chess,
it’s just a nice move.
“he’d have all of Congress right up his rectum about it”….oh, well, that would be different.
Simple solution stands..end the war. Pull troops out. If congress doesn’t like it, they would have to pass a new authorization, or resolution. Good luck with that.
The interest of the Chinese, and Russia, are that a US base exists in SK. Elites don’t give a crap about Koreans, or anybody else for that matter.
Not 1950s anymore, all Korea would be rubbled in hours after a war outbreak, many of those troops dead, affecting nothing but popular opinion in the US. A simple defense pact, with no base, or troops accomplishes
the same result, with no dead soldiers.
So will SK also be paying survivors benefits, VA medical ? I guess it would be cheaper for SK to just bury them there, and treat the veterans in SK hospitals….
My understanding is that the South Korean government is all about being nice to US veterans of the 1950-53 war. I read an account somewhere by a guy who traveled there. He was met at the airport by singing school-children (who also maintain the US graves in South Korea), didn’t have to pay for a hotel, and had an English-speaking guide on call (but not omnipresent and watching him) to drive him anywhere he wanted to go.
I suspect that’s a small expense in terms of the money the South spends to keep the US happy with it and lobby for its continued presence.
On the other hand, I’ve been told that non-government South Koreans aren’t especially fond of Americans, and can make some educated guesses as to why.
The neocon talking points never end with you.
I know reality is hard for you, I’ll be patient.
At least you now admit it.
That reality is hard for you, I do that everyday.
That you are a neocon? Good on you.
I’m sure Iran is scared of 3000 troops. They are not home…more millions wasted in in country run by insane monarchs beheading people.
It’s 3K –more– than what is already in region plus an aircraft carrier group.
U S leaves SK. NK invades SK. US goes back into another war compliments of Don the Con.
Pulling out entirely would be the BEST MOVE EVER. The Koreas would finally be able to work things out for THEIR benefit, rather than ours. Sure, the drug, alcohol, prostitution and golf sectors of the economy would take a huge hit, but sacrifices must be made.
this is the Empire starting to come under strain
whats odd is we haven’t really heard about what Kim would want for getting rid of his nukes
There is nothing that Kim will give up his nukes for… that’s what makes this all so ridiculous. Libya ended any chance that someone who has nukes negotiates them away.
even then it’s nukes wouldn’t be enough to save it. at the time that Trump ramped up tensions with NK, it soon became clear that if Seoul was cratered, that the US would bomb the North so heavily so to avoid this every Korean with sense would GTFO mainly to China which would cause a massive headache for the Chinese.
the alternative to avoid the above scenario the Chinese would invade before the assault on Seoul to stop the invading Korean civilian invasion either the Kim regime would be over.
i suspect this is what DC was after and now has been left looking a little foolish negotiating something they aren’t interested in at all. Cos we know they are much more interested in sticking a finger into Chinese eyes than resolving the situation peacefully.
Please get these troops out of Korea! If Trump doesn’t or isn’t able to follow through then the Koreans should be protesting and demanding their government to force a US exit from the Korean peninsula. Then it’ll be possible for the two Koreas to make peace and move forward towards eventual reunification.