More interesting comments are being released now from USFK Commander General Burwell Bell’s testimony to Congress last week:

U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. B.B. Bell said he expects South Korea’s new president to ask for a pause in the reduction of U.S. troops stationed here while the countries study the future of the drawdown.

During congressional testimony March 12 in Washington, Bell said President Lee Myung-bak could make the request as early as April, when Lee is scheduled to meet with President Bush at Camp David.

“If he does ask for that pause, I think it would be prudent for the United States to agree to sit down and discuss the issue and then potentially execute a pause based on those discussions,” he said. [Stars & Stripes]

The Korean delay games continues.  Remember the Korean government is trying to delay the relocation of the 2nd Infantry Division along with trying to play delay games with the funding for the USFK transformation.  On a positive note General Bell says that the Korean government will no longer try to delay the hand over of operational control:

Bell told the House Armed Services Committee that Lee and his staff are “absolutely committed” to taking wartime control of forces stationed in South Korea by the April 17, 2012, deadline set by the two countries.

Here is my prediction, the US government will decide to delay troop withdrawals from Korea and the Korean government will respond later with more delay games to prevent the 2012 hand over of operational control.  Thus the Korean government’s goal of keeping US troops in Korea as well as preventing the hand over of operational control will be achieved.  From the Korean government point of view, how can the US expect them to pay for their own defense when they have more important things to do like fund a canal across their country that will be a feeding trough of government funds for the Korean chaebol business conglomerates? 

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