Ex-S. Korean generals: Unify wartime commands

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Ex-S. Korean generals: Unify wartime commands
By Ashley Rowland and Hwang Hae-rym, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Thursday, November 12, 2009

SEOUL — Twenty retired South Korean generals have asked the presidents of the United States and South Korea to reconsider dissolving the countries’ joint warfighting command, saying it would weaken their country’s ability to defend itself against nuclear-armed North Korea.

In a letter sent to President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak last week, the generals said keeping the current Combined Forces Command would allow South Korea to respond as swiftly as possible to a provocation by North Korea.

“The unity of command is one of the most important factors in the battlefield,” said retired CFC deputy commander Gen. Kim Jae-chang, one of several retired generals who co-wrote the letter. He said the CFC is the most developed joint command system in the world and is South Korea’s best hope for defending against an external threat.

Kim said the generals want the two presidents to discuss the issue when they meet in Seoul on Nov. 19.

The CFC is scheduled to dissolve on April 17, 2012, and be replaced by separate U.S. and South Korean commands. After that date, South Korea would assume control of all U.N. military forces in the country during a war, including the 28,000-strong U.S. military presence.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66025