A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is launched during a successful intercept test, in this undated handout photo provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency. U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency/Handout
Reuters: U.S to deploy anti-missile system in South Korea 'as soon as possible'
The United States will speed up deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system to South Korea given the pace of North Korea's missile tests, and it will be stationed there "as soon as possible," the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia said on Tuesday.
Daniel Russel, assistant secretary of state for East Asia, also told a congressional hearing the United States was in discussions with international partners, including the European Union, to deny North Korea access to international banking infrastructure after its recent nuclear and missile tests.
Russel told the House subcommittee for Asia the timing of the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system was a Pentagon matter.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The North Koreans must be spooking a lot fo people in Washington for the U.S. to be this eager to deploy its THAAD anti-missile system ASAP.
More News On The U.S. Wanting To Deploy Its Missile Defense System To South Korea ASAP
US looks to accelerate deployment of missile defense system in South Korea -- AP
US plans to deploy THAAD in South Korea 'as soon as possible,' official says -- Stars and Stripes
U.S. official: THAAD to be deployed to deter North Korea threats -- UPI
While I can understand the position of wanting to deploy the THAAD system and I understand the United States has an agreement with South Korea to provide for their defense and the South Koreans made decisions based upon this assumption and it will take them time to be able to do this without American assistance, it needs to be made abundantly clear to the South Koreans and their leadership that while America will assist them in their defense against South Korea the American commitment is NOT indefinite and America will NOT play the role of their muscle man in their fight against North Korea.
ReplyDeleteTrump gets allot of flak for the idea of letting our allies develop domestic nuclear deterrent but I will tell you what. I would almost guaranty if we leaked we were going to allow Japan & SKorea to develop a domestic nuclear deterrent China would suddenly show up to the table with real leverage to prevent such by forcing NKorea to dismantle its program. Our fear of a Nork nuclear capability is pale compared to the hyperventilation China would go through considering a Japanese nuclear deterrent.
ReplyDeleteWe have horrible negotiators that are politicks more worried about avoiding possible problems than understanding in hard knuckle negotiation proposing a issue you don't want but your opponent really doesn't want to gain leverage is a fair game smart tactic. Up there along the lines of requesting pie in the sky initial price so you can allow yourself to be negotiated down to were you really wanted to be anyway. Our enemies do it all the time to US.
C-Low.
ReplyDeleteI largely think you are spot on here, however, I don't think its a question of "allowing" South Korea or Japan to develop nuclear weapons. If they wanted to, there is nothing we can do to stop them.
It's more a matter of do they want to spend the money, the resources, etc to develop such things. As long as someone else is willing to do it for them, they have no real incentive to do the hard work or resource allocation necessary to get this done.
I do believe you are correct that having a nuclear armed Japan and South Korea would strongly encourage China to take seriously the need to contain North Korea and would give us real leverage in negotiations and our negotiators are absolutely horrible.