U.S., South Korea to begin scaled-down drills amid virus spike
The United States and South Korea will begin their annual joint military exercises this week, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Aug. 16. But a spreading coronavirus outbreak has apparently forced the allies to scale back an already low-key training program mainly involving computer-simulated war scenarios.
The drills from Aug. 18 to 28 could still irk North Korea, which portrays the allies’ training as invasion rehearsals and has threatened to abandon stalled nuclear talks if Washington persists with what it perceives as “hostile policies” toward Pyongyang.
The exercises also come at a delicate time after President Donald Trump openly complained about the costs of maintaining 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea to protect against North Korean threats. The allies have so far failed to sign a new cost-sharing agreement after the last one expired at the end of 2019.
The drills involve so-called combined command post training, which is focused on computerized simulations aimed at preparing the two militaries for various battle scenarios, such as a surprise North Korean attack.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff did not specify how many troops will participate. But it’s clear the size would be smaller than the summer drills of previous years, which often involved tens of thousands of troops on both sides, and combined computer simulations with field training. This time, the coronavirus pandemic has limited the number of U.S. troops who could be brought in from abroad.
The U.S. and South Korean militaries had canceled their springtime drills following a COVID-19 outbreak in the southern city of Daegu and nearby towns that was stabilized by April. AP
Pompeo inks deal to support more U.S. troops in Poland
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sealed a defense cooperation deal Aug. 15 with Polish officials that will pave the way to deploy more American troops to Poland.
Pompeo, in Warsaw at the end of a four-nation tour of central and eastern Europe, signed the deal with Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak that sets out the legal framework for the additional troops.
“This is going to be an extended guarantee: a guarantee that in case of a threat our soldiers are going to stand arm-in-arm,” Poland’s President Andrzej Duda said during the signing ceremony. “It will also serve to increase the security of other countries in our part of Europe.”
The deal would also further other aspects of U.S.-Polish cooperation, he added, citing primarily investment and trade ties.
Some 4,500 U.S. troops are currently based in Poland, but about 1,000 more are to be added. Last month, in line with President Donald Trump’s demand to reduce troop numbers in Germany, the Pentagon announced that 12,000 troops would be withdrawn from Germany with about 5,600 moving to other countries in Europe, including Poland.
In addition, several U.S. military commands will be moved out of Germany, including the U.S. Army V Corps overseas headquarters that will relocate to Poland next year.
The deal would also further other aspects of U.S.-Polish cooperation, he added, citing primarily investment and trade ties. AP
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