U.S. Aircraft Carrier Headed to Korean Waters For War Games Exercise
North Korean Military
Tensions continue to rise in Korea days after a North Korean attack that killed 2 civilians and 2 South Korean soldiers. The South has bolstered security near their western islands as well as sharply increased their military arsenal. They have also ordered the islands near the border of the North be evacuated. Both sides are bracing for some sort of provocation which could literally start a full fledged war.
Surprising, The United States has just sent an aircraft carrier to take part in a war games exercise in the Korean Peninsula. After speaking with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, President Obama dispatched the USS George Washington from Japan to take part in the 4 day drill.
The USS George Washington, an aircraft carrier carrying 75 warplanes and a crew of over 6,000, shipped out towards Korean waters on Wednesday. According to US officials in Seoul, the carrier left Japan and was expected to join naval exercises with South Korea next week.
US Forces Korea pointed out in a statement that while the exercises were “planned well before yesterday’s unprovoked artillery attack, it demonstrates the strength of the ROK (South Korea)-US alliance and our commitment to regional stability through deterrence,” emphasizing that the exercise was defensive in nature, according to Reuters.
The conflict started when North Korea warned the South to stop an early morning military drill in disputed waters. The South preceded to fire shells into the area and eventually the North responded by firing into Yeonpyeong, injuring 16 and killing 4.
North Korea seems fully prepared to go to war. They have turned down a request by the U.S.-led U.N. Command (UNC) to hold talks regarding the attacks.
Both sides have publicly stated that they are expecting provocations that could lead to further violence:
North Korea has warned that there will be more attacks if the South makes anymore “reckless” provocations.
North Korea warned Thursday it would launch more attacks on South Korea if its southern neighbor makes more “reckless military provocations,” according to several reports citing a statement by the North Korean military,
The statement, carried by North Korean state media, said Pyongyang “will wage second and even third rounds of attacks without any hesitation, if warmongers in South Korea make reckless military provocations again,” according to a translation quoted by Reuters.
The South announced plans to overhaul their military arsenal as they prepared for what they believe will be another North Korean attack.
“We should not release our sense of crisis in preparation for the possibility of another provocation by North Korea. A provocation like this can recur any time,” President Lee Myung-bak was quoted as saying in an emergency meeting with security and economy ministers.
How could the US sending an aircraft carrier with 75 warplanes and a crew of well over 6,000 not been seen as a provocation by the North? It is very possible that this is the war that the RAND corporation has openly called for.
Other nations have not taken the situation lightly and all Indonesians in Korea have been ordered to evacuate. The war games will take place between Sunday and Wednesday. Whether this will be the spark that lights the war remains to be seen.
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Better get old ‘hawkeye’ and the bunch from MASH and warm those
units up just might be a repeat. They can send a billion dollar
aircraft carrier but they can not seen to secure the boarders. Can
say F-O-O-L-S
I hope we can get Harry Morgan to play the C.O. again gezz I liked him