South Korea has announced it will send troops to Baghdad, while at the same time in another part of Washington, it is announced that another troop reduction is likely for US soldiers stationed in South Korea?
The Pentagon has been reviewing the worldwide positioning of its forces known as its “footprint” for months, and implementing the changes likely will take years.
Changes to do what? Since 1950, our mission in Korea has not changed one bit. The threat from North Korea has not diminished one bit. Yet… Wolfie said last year, long before our invasion and the strain on our resources, both financial and human:
“No longer will our forces be based near the DMZ as a political `trip wire,’” Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told Congress last summer.
Troops going out of Korea to help face down terrorists, South Korean troops heading in to “help?” Sounds like money troubles to me. 137 billion in Iraq and counting… 25 billion in Afghanistan and counting… Suddenly, North Korea (no oil) isn’t much of a threat? Suddenly, our services in South Africa (no oil) aren’t really all that necessary? Suddenly, the tapes from Bin Laden start showing up again (take minds off oil)?
Meanwhile, Haliburton and all of the politically pork-fed energy corporations are struggling under the strain to produce oil revenues in Iraq yet, they are still profiting themselves? Congress, the UN, and the executive branch still argue about what rebuilding means, who keeps most of the money, and what the Iraqi people are expected to pay now and pay back later?
Oh do I wish for the naive days of blow-job scandals right about now.