And Here We Go With NK?

[Kathianne]

https://www.google.com/amp/www.foxne...-says.amp.html

[Gunny]

https://www.google.com/amp/www.foxne...-says.amp.html

I hate to say this, but North Korea has a point for once. The exercises DO target North Korea as the potential invader.

Seems to me propriety might dictate postponing or cancelling the exercises for the time being. That IS an in your face. How bad do you want the deal? Might want to ratchet back a few notches on that American arrogance for the time being.

[Kathianne]

I hate to say this, but North Korea has a point for once. The exercises DO target North Korea as the potential invader.

Seems to me propriety might dictate postponing or cancelling the exercises for the time being. That IS an in your face. How bad do you want the deal? Might want to ratchet back a few notches on that American arrogance for the time being.

Maybe. There's something to be said for not gaining anything untl the relationship is working.

[Abbey Marie]

Saving face is as we know, a very big deal for Asians. This needs to stop for the time-being.

[Gunny]

Maybe. There's something to be said for not gaining anything untl the relationship is working.

A valid point. We have however held joint military exercises with South Korea since before I was in the Marine Corps. I got to go on one. What luck

It's not going to break anybody's butt to miss one or postpone it. Like I said, how bad do you want a deal? Weigh one against the other. Denuclearization of the Korean peninsula vs another lame, repetitious military exercise that could be held any time. Trump & Co & S Korea have worked for a year and half to get where they are on this deal.

Also, depending on what exactly is in the deal, isn't de-militarization of the peninsula part of the package? A signed deal would render the exercise pointless anyway.

I think it can and should be postponed indefinitely pending negotiations. Just my opinion.

[Kathianne]

A valid point. We have however held joint military exercises with South Korea since before I was in the Marine Corps. I got to go on one. What luck

It's not going to break anybody's butt to miss one or postpone it. Like I said, how bad do you want a deal? Weigh one against the other. Denuclearization of the Korean peninsula vs another lame, repetitious military exercise that could be held any time. Trump & Co & S Korea have worked for a year and half to get where they are on this deal.

Also, depending on what exactly is in the deal, isn't de-militarization of the peninsula part of the package? A signed deal would render the exercise pointless anyway.

I think it can and should be postponed indefinitely pending negotiations. Just my opinion.

He said, "No preconditions." Now threatens to pull out. Not good.

[Gunny]

He said, "No preconditions." Now threatens to pull out. Not good.

Neither is practicing to kick his while claiming we want peace and stability.

[Kathianne]

Neither is practicing to kick his while claiming we want peace and stability.

Actually, it looks like he's playimg at something. The exercises were already underway when he did this. It's not like he didn't know beforehand.

[Gunny]

Actually, it looks like he's playimg at something. The exercises were already underway when he did this. It's not like he didn't know beforehand.

I really don't know with this nutcase. That's just my opinion. They're going to do what they're going to do and so is Un, even if he doesn't know what that is from one minute to the next.

Maybe he considers strong arming them to stop would be some power play and victory. Here's the thing with Korea. There's a holding force on the ground in South Korea. The REAL force is the Navy and island of Okinawa, home of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force and Kadena AFB. Most of those exercises are Navy and the Army holding force jockeying around on the ground. When we went to Team Spirit 84 from Oki, we sent a token force from 3rd Marine Division.

There's Anderson AFB on Guam which has so many B-52s I surprised the island hasn't sank. There's an AFB in Japan. Yokosuka I believe. There's a Navy base in Japan. And those are all permanent forces, not just exercise people in for the weekend. I honestly believe Un has no idea what he is actually facing.

So we postpone the exercise. I consider it the wiser course of action, and something we can afford from position of overwhelming strength. It's not like anyone's going to go away. It's a bit of reverse psychology. Call his bluff, but not by confronting him. Let him have enough rope to hang himself or make a deal. Either way, he outs himself. Then, if he's stooging around HE is the bad guy instead of us looking like the bullies.

It costs us nothing, and if he balks we can always hold an exercise the next day. It's not like they don't have 3-5 of them a year anyway.

[Kathianne]

I really don't know with this nutcase. That's just my opinion. They're going to do what they're going to do and so is Un, even if he doesn't know what that is from one minute to the next.

Maybe he considers strong arming them to stop would be some power play and victory. Here's the thing with Korea. There's a holding force on the ground in South Korea. The REAL force is the Navy and island of Okinawa, home of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force and Kadena AFB. Most of those exercises are Navy and the Army holding force jockeying around on the ground. When we went to Team Spirit 84 from Oki, we sent a token force from 3rd Marine Division.

There's Anderson AFB on Guam which has so many B-52s I surprised the island hasn't sank. There's an AFB in Japan. Yokosuka I believe. There's a Navy base in Japan. And those are all permanent forces, not just exercise people in for the weekend. I honestly believe Un has no idea what he is actually facing.

So we postpone the exercise. I consider it the wiser course of action, and something we can afford from position of overwhelming strength. It's not like anyone's going to go away. It's a bit of reverse psychology. Call his bluff, but not by confronting him. Let him have enough rope to hang himself or make a deal. Either way, he outs himself. Then, if he's stooging around HE is the bad guy instead of us looking like the bullies.

It costs us nothing, and if he balks we can always hold an exercise the next day. It's not like they don't have 3-5 of them a year anyway.

I get what you're saying, but Trump isn't doing that. Seems the WH is basically ignoring his threat thus far..

[aboutime]

Little Rocket Man is just playing more games. He does have to 'save face' to some extent, and doesn't want to look like the WUSS we all know he is to those he pretends to lead. So..he had to make this threat to get attention.
The exercises should go on, just to let the President Prove...He's Not a Pushover like Obama, Bush, and the Clinton's.

Trump doesn't expect Rocket Man to keep his word on ANYTHING. IMO.

[Gunny]

Little Rocket Man is just playing more games. He does have to 'save face' to some extent, and doesn't want to look like the WUSS we all know he is to those he pretends to lead. So..he had to make this threat to get attention.
The exercises should go on, just to let the President Prove...He's Not a Pushover like Obama, Bush, and the Clinton's.

Trump doesn't expect Rocket Man to keep his word on ANYTHING. IMO.

I disagree. The President of the United States doesn't have to PROVE anything. He's the President of the United States. NOBODY, to include Un, thinks Un is any kind of an equal.

They're going to do what they want. I posted above why I would go the other route. i don't think a dime-a-dozen military exercise is worth nt getting our hands on the idiot's nukes. Plus, Trump has already pissed off half the World twice in 2 weeks. Stick it on Un to be the bad guy. PR is killing us right now and IMO, only the canning of the Iran deal was the only one worth the price. Moving our embassy from one dirty spot to another in Israel accomplishes absolutely nothing from where I sit. Same with a military exercise when we stand a chance at solving a 70 years old wart.

[Drummond]

The current exercises were arranged some time ago, I understand ?

And .. N Korea has to surely accept that it's acted aggressively until very recently, so it's a bit rich for them to show intolerance to other powers who also flex their military muscle. Perhaps Kim Jong-Un thinks that his is the only national power with any so-called 'right' to do so ?

North Korea has sown distrust in it for a considerable period. They can now prove they've reformed. If they're genuine .. they'll continue to show us that they have done so.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

I hate to say this, but North Korea has a point for once. The exercises DO target North Korea as the potential invader.

Seems to me propriety might dictate postponing or cancelling the exercises for the time being. That IS an in your face. How bad do you want the deal? Might want to ratchet back a few notches on that American arrogance for the time being.

After hearing about this and reading the OP's link, before I read a single comment, what you said above was exactly what I was thinking.

Little rocket man has come a long way so far I'd say, he's quit shooting off rockets, he's meet with Pompeo already and he's planning to blow up nuke sites, etc, hell, don't push the guy right now. Why fuck up something that appears to be going good and it's historic beyond measure? Just postpone the damn exercises indefinitely. We been doing this shit with SOKO for decades, don't we have a pretty damn good idea how it go by now?

I think it's stupid to hold those military exercises right now. I would have certainly recommended against it. It certainly doesn't seem to fit in with any "art of the deal" narrative in my opinion.

[darin]

I hate to say this, but North Korea has a point for once. The exercises DO target North Korea as the potential invader.

Doesn't matter at all. Any exercises going on were planned years ago - at least started planning; and they may be annual exercises anyway - and probably exercises used to evaluate readiness. They are not provocative; they are not new or sudden; they are training and training the way the Soldiers there have done it for decades. NK is just cherry picking shit to manipulate stuff. NK is like a really naggy, bitchy partner - they know only this: Passive-aggressive stammering and rolling on the floor throwing a fit until they get their way. Up until Trump most US Presidents were enabling helicopter type parents who satiated instead of corrected.

God i'm good. I hadn't clicked the link until after replying:

"The purpose of the training is to enhance the ROK-U.S. Allilance's ability to defend the ROK and enhance interoperability and readiness," the statement said. "While we will not discuss specifics, the defensive nature of these combined exercises has been clear for many decades and has not changed."

mmhmm.