US seeks major marine exercise with S Korea
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
SEOUL, Sep 15(AFP): The US military has proposed holding a major troop- landing exercise involving more than 10,000 US and South Korean marines in November, according to a report Monday.
It was put forward by General Walter Sharp, who commands 28,500 US troops here, to demonstrate joint military capability in the face of communist North Korea, the Yonhap news agency said.
However Seoul is lukewarm as it believes a large-scale drill could further chill relations with the reclusive regime in Pyongyang, which have worsened since President Lee Myung-Bak took power in February, it added.
US and South Korean military officials refused to confirm the report.
A South Korean defence ministry spokesman said both sides are yet to set a date for an exercise or the number of troops to be involved.
Yonhap said Sharp made the proposal during a visit in July to South Korea's marine corps command, and had already ordered the temporary redeployment of a Marine unit from Japan for the exercise.
"General Sharp said the countries needed to demonstrate to North Korea that their combined forces are well capable of conducting such a large-scale amphibious operation," a military source was quoted by Yonhap as saying.
The North routinely criticises exercises involving US and South Korean troops as a prelude to invasion, while the United States and South Korea say they are purely defensive.
It was put forward by General Walter Sharp, who commands 28,500 US troops here, to demonstrate joint military capability in the face of communist North Korea, the Yonhap news agency said.
However Seoul is lukewarm as it believes a large-scale drill could further chill relations with the reclusive regime in Pyongyang, which have worsened since President Lee Myung-Bak took power in February, it added.
US and South Korean military officials refused to confirm the report.
A South Korean defence ministry spokesman said both sides are yet to set a date for an exercise or the number of troops to be involved.
Yonhap said Sharp made the proposal during a visit in July to South Korea's marine corps command, and had already ordered the temporary redeployment of a Marine unit from Japan for the exercise.
"General Sharp said the countries needed to demonstrate to North Korea that their combined forces are well capable of conducting such a large-scale amphibious operation," a military source was quoted by Yonhap as saying.
The North routinely criticises exercises involving US and South Korean troops as a prelude to invasion, while the United States and South Korea say they are purely defensive.