European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 7, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Are troops needed in Korea t i by Bernard Weinraub new York times Wenty pour years after the end of the korean the has told South Korea that it will pull out american ground troops Over the next four or five although the troop withdrawal was promised by president Carter during last years election Campaign and somewhat in the last few months the Issue emerged abruptly when John chief of staff in South was ordered Home last month by president Carter and removed from his Job because of his comments that the withdrawal of american ground troops would Lead to less than a week after being the general was assigned As chief of staff of the army forces com headquartered at appearing before a House Singlaub reaffirmed his View concerning troop withdrawal and said that it was shared by the military and Diplo Matic establishment in South the a career officer with 34 years service and a distinguished combat said that recent intelligence estimates had shown North Korea build ing its armed forces far beyond what we thought they Singlaub said that the command in Korea had never been Given the reasons even after for Carters decision to withdraw the sol Diers from Korea within five not the generals comments stirred some Strong reaction on Capitol especially among con what particularly disturbed some powerful including Barry Goldwater of Arizona and Strom Thurmond of South was that the administration seemed to be sliding into a major policy move without any debate in Congress or in the Goldwater said in a statement on the Senate the official announcement by the Pentagon said that Public statements by general Singlaub to the effect that withdrawal of american troops from Korea might result in War were inconsistent with announced National Security what i would Tike to know is where was this official policy defined and announced by the president or by the Pentagon i cant find such a policy it has not been presented to the Senate armed services com Mittee of which i am a and so far As i know it has not been presented to the committee on foreign of two House the armed services commit tee and the committee on International Are now set to pursue Carters Korea the president in the defended the administrations plan to withdraw infantry troops from saying that South Korea was Strong enough to repel we will leave there adequate intelligence observation air naval forces and a open commitment to our defense treaty so there need not be doubt about potential adversaries concerning our support of South Carter an administration official involved in korean policy put it More nobody in their right mind can claim that a withdrawal improves the offi Cial it diminishes but it Doest Dimin ish it to a degree that worries there Are risks but not great risks in this until the morning of june the policy toward Korea was on that the North koreans launched a Surprise assault across the 38th parallel with 150 tanks and 110 aircraft As the North korean forces broke through South korean defences and advanced rapidly into the lowlands surrounding the president Truman Felt it vital to by july korean soldiers of the first battalion of the 24th divisions 21st regiment became the first american infantrymen to engage the North koreans in direct by the time the War ended three years South americans and servicemen from other nations had More than soldiers from All nations were civilian casualties were even since then american taxpayers have poured in More than billion in economic and military Aid to help South Korea develop As a hundreds of thousands of americans have served alongside with still on what has defined american interests in Korea and served As the impulse for the sizable flow of Aid is the dangerous potential for another War coupled with the Caudal strategic position of the korean pen Korea is Pivotal because the interests of the four Powers converge the has troops and a de sense treaty with South North Korea two giant China and the soviet also have inter ests with regard to their communist plus their own territorial and political the japanese see Korea As a Buffer Between their islands and the major Continental although the american interest in Korea has been viewed primarily As preventing the resumption of hostilities and protecting Japan and dissuading her from build ing a Large military policymakers have increasingly raised questions about the necessity of maintaining a sizable american presence in Korea when South Korea seemed capable of defending itself without american ground beyond the controversial and repressive policies of president Park Chung who has stifled political Are clearly contrary to the human rights principles stressed by president june 1977 daily Magazine  officials Bebee the Smyk Keren r in bold us aim and to Beate to i the defense Secretary Harold Brown has can be safely accomplished Over the period of Lour to five years infer the conf icons we have publicly namely the maintenance of United states air and logistic continued strengthening of South korean military forces and the full commitment of the United states to the Security of an official close to Brown said the question Are we doing in Korea South Korea can defend they have a powerful improving military capabilities and the balance we be in their theres no reason to keep these troops at this Point the balance of Power in Korea seems in North Korea has a 2tol advantage in Many concentrated within so Miles of the demilitarized but the army wants to Arm South Korea m48 tanks with 105mm guns instead of their present 90mm this would place them roughly on in with North Korea ts4 and to tanks an their 100mm the berth have Bomes Tow which the Boneu Iamb so Csatady statist soviet made tanks la the 1173 Oddte East Tow stands for North Korea retains an advantage in the air Over South Korea air and for that reason Carter has prom ised to keep air strength in South Korea the South korean army has soldiers and a Marine corps of which gives the South a troop advantage of about Over the although the South korean army lacks partly because of its smaller Supply of Many of us sol Diers fought in the Vietnam War and have combat experience that the North koreans the 2tol North korean advantage in which especially worried Singlaub and other officers in is mitigated by the heavily defended barriers along the North South routes of according to Pentagon offi in several important respects the balance Between North and South seems roughly said a recent con Gressional budget office report North Korea has slightly More combat but South Korea has More manpower and far greater the balance seems even enough to present substantial risk to North Korea that an attack could opposition View military and other critics argue that the gains Little advantage in withdrawing ground troops from they assert that the second infantry division serves As a powerful deter rent once could provoke the North koreans to the saves Little Money in withdrawing the troops to the Richard a retired army general who was commander in chief of the United nations command in Korea from 1973 to wrote recently in opposition to the withdrawal so Long As Kim 11 Sung the North korean Leader remains convinced that an attack on South Korea will bring into play with the deployed and offshore United states military it is Likely that he will be deterred from military the he provides the Only lever that might Force the North to accept the reality of two korean a precondition for amelioration of ten they Are valuable indeed essential assets in fur Thering our major objectives in Northeast Asia strength ening the partnership with Japan minimizing the soviet presence improving relations with the Peoples Republic of China sustaining the regions economic Momen disengagement of american he entails the gravest of not Only on the Peninsula but also in Northeast Asia and far the modest investment of men and Stilwell and others provide a deterrent that effectively thwarts the North the debate Wio probably continue for some Carter  is committed to the which has the grudging approval of the sooth korean How forcefully military leaders argue in favor of the withdrawal seems a key Factor in the should the joint chiefs of staff press the Case for the troop pull there is every probability that the withdrawal will take place without Strong opposition on Capitol the mood of Capitol Hill is not to avoid a bitter fight Over the korean Issue but to discuss it and to serve notice on the president that a major policy such As the withdrawal of american ground troops from needs the assent of the stars and stripes Page 13