Two Submariners Killed

Coming out of the breakwater, four washed overboard in restricted waters; two didn't survive. Details at my place. The Sub Report has the updates.

Sailors, rest your oar.

South Korean Government Cuts Funding for USFK Relocation

Three weeks ago the South Korean government announced they were going to suspend the USFK relocation to Camp Humphreys to 2013. The SK government announced this decision at this time because they hoped the Pentagon would be to preoccupied with the transition between Rumsfeld and Gates and the on going Iraq debate to care about events going on in Korea. The Korean government was right because there was no response from the Pentagon. This lack of response gave the Korean government the green light to pass a bill during the Christmas holiday that cut all governmental funding for the USFK relocation.

Many people in Korea complain about the US presence in Korea, especially the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul, but when it comes time to cut US troops and consolidate the remaining troops in an out of the way area south of Seoul the Korean government every time does whatever it can to stop it because the Korean government prefers the status quo.

The current status quo prevents the US from taking any action against North Korea because of where the majority of US forces are currently stationed would be easily destroyed by a North Korean artillery strike. Plus the Korean government doesn't want to pay for the move to Camp Humphreys. Though the South Korean government is more than willing to send over an billion dollars in aid next year to North Korea they have always funded USFK on the cheap. So from the South Korean viewpoint if the US government decides to go ahead and completely finance the move to Camp Humphreys themselves, then when the US eventually pulls out of Korea, the Korean Army will receive a state of the art military base for free.

Other economic factors is the fact that by consolidating USFK bases the US military will be able to cut jobs of Koreans that support the bases. The move would instantly cause massive unemployment in the cities of Dongducheon, Uijongbu, and the Yongsan area of Seoul where the majority of US forces are located.

Another factor that keeps Yongsan where it is at is the fact that Korean politicians love to demagogue this issue for short term political advantage. The usual rhetoric goes, "Vote for me and I will kick the Yankee imperialists off of Yongsan and return this land to Korea!" Yet when this person gets elected they do everything possible to ensure it stays right where it is at ensuring that the USFK gravy train rolls on.

Speaking of North Korea

Spook86 is - at In From the Cold- where he has a nice piece on the DPRK and some analyis of the military capability thereof which he (correctly in my opinion) deems "faulty".

A good section:

In other words, why should we be so concerned about North Korea's miniscule arsenal, since the U.S. has enough nukes to flatten the DPRK many times over. But such arguments are specious--and ignore the larger point. The last time I checked, 70% of U.S. military wasn't sitting on the border, prepared to invade our closest neighbors. We don't fire ballistic missiles over Mexico, Canada, Russia, or anyone else to make political points, and the United States hasn't conducted nuclear tests to gain attention on the world stage. As for Pyongyang, guilty on all counts.

Additionally, the United States is not part of a global proliferation network that is actively engaged in the transfer of ballistic missile and (possibly) nuclear weapons technology. Pyongyang, on the other hand, is already the world's largest exporter of ballistic missiles, and there is great concern that the bankrupt DPRK will share its nuclear expertise as well. There is justifiable fear that a North Korean nuke design (or a finished weapon) will wind up in the hands or Iran, Syria, or terrorist organizations--regardless of how large or small the U.S. nuclear arsenal might be.

Re: Entertainment

A quote from that story:

But Olson, who received her subpoena Thursday, acknowledged she has no legal grounds to refuse to testify, since she is being asked only to confirm the accuracy of what she wrote about Watada and not to disclose confidential sources or unpublished material.

Headline of the Year?

This late entry is a contender:

Hundreds of Iraqis Apply to be Hangman

Notes from a marine

Cliff May posts some interesting notes from a Marine in Iraq.

The IED: The biggest killer of all. Can be anything from old Soviet anti-armor mines to jury rigged artillery shells. … Most were detonated by cell phone, and the explosions are enormous. You're not safe in any vehicle, even an M1 tank. Driving is by far the most dangerous thing our guys do over there. Lately, they are much more sophisticated "shape charges" (Iranian) specifically designed to penetrate armor. Fact: Most of the ready made IED's are supplied by Iran, who is also providing terrorists (Hezbollah types) to train the insurgents in their use and tactics. That's why the attacks have been so deadly lately. Their concealment methods are ingenious, the latest being shape charges, in Styrofoam containers spray painted to look like the cinderblocks that litter all Iraqi roads. We find about 40% before they detonate, and the bomb disposal guys are unsung heroes of this war.

Read it all.

News of Afghanistan

"Blogger may be malfunctioning like crazy, but the News is still up!"

Entertainment

Our buddy Ehren Watada apparently talked to a lot of journalists. Funnily enough, this is of interest to the people prosecuting him.

Army prosecutors have sent subpoenas to journalists in Oakland and Honolulu demanding testimony about quotes they attributed to an officer who faces a court-martial after denouncing the war in Iraq and refusing to deploy with his unit.

(h/t Insta)

When MSM Narratives Collide

The MSM is big on their narratives. It's the "storyline" through which every news item adheres to in some form or another. So what happens when two major MSM narratives conflict? In this case: "The economy is in the tank and only the poor enlist in the Army as it's their only option."

How then to explain this little nugget in this NYT article about challenges facing recruiters in the wake of the proposed increase of the permanent size of the Army?

Part of the struggle, recruiters said, is economic. Attracting young people to military service is difficult when jobs are plentiful and wages are on the rise.

Darn it, I'm confused. Thankfully, new recruits, being the ignorant troglodytes they are, won't pick up on this fine distinction either.

Re: Mogadishu falls

Intesting report from the LA Times at the end of this:

Somalian government officials said they had no immediate plans to use heavy force to take the capital, a campaign they said could inflict heavy civilian deaths on the city of 2 million people. Instead, Ethiopians and transitional government troops encircled Mogadishu, shut down the seaport and airport, and pressured Islamic leaders to give up.

"We are cutting off the roads and begging them to lay down their weapons," said Abdikarim Farah, the transitional government's ambassador to Ethiopia.

He said the United States was among the countries helping to seal off access along the Indian Ocean coastline. (emphasis adde)

Holy Gil Evgren!

When Iowahawk finds a charity, he finds a good 'un. American Legion Post 360's got a pinup calendar for sale. There's also the Dolphin Scholarship calendar for those who aren't into the pinups...

Besides, we were getting too serious anyway.