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| Korea |
| U.S. Blueprint for N. Korea War |
| 2003-05-14 |
| If the U.S. were to go to war with North Korea, it would be a very different conflict than the one against Iraq. The U.S. has "war-gamed" the scenario for years — a blueprint for the defense of South Korea that Pentagon insiders know as "OP-PLAN 50-27." Every year the U.S. and South Korean military rehearse the plan and the result is always the same: The U.S. and its allies prevail, but at a terrible price. For half-a-century, the U.S. has been obligated by treaty to execute that war plan, if the North ever invades the South. U.S. Army Gen. Leon LaPorte's job is to make sure the North loses. He is confidant that if North Korea were ever to attack the South, that attack would be defeated. Nonetheless LaPorte and many of his predecessors say North Korea's military, while obsolete, is nevertheless formidable, with 70 percent of its army massed south of Pyongyang along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Retired General John Tilleli, who commanded U.S. forces stationed in Korea from 1996-1999, says the North is capable of unleashing a huge military arsenal at a moments notice. "They have short range and medium range missiles, present and deployed," he says. "They have weapons of mass destruction," he adds, "and oh, by the way, they have about a million-plus ground forces." The Pentagon says about 800 of the North's missiles can strike any point in South Korea, and even as far as Japan. (con't see link) |
| Posted by:Anonymous |
| #8 "Army first" policy means the army gets the guns first, and get to shoot first. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-05-14 18:00:43 |
| #7 In order for the Nkors to have a traffic jam on the DMZ they need a little something called gas. As for the Nkor pop rising up (this is a cannard). If they were capable of doing so, don't you think they would have by now. Even the most ardent Nkor patriot must be tired of a diet of tree bark and moss. In short if Nkor is going to be freed, it will be the US military that does it. |
| Posted by: Douglas De Bono 2003-05-14 15:51:59 |
| #6 I just can't imagine how the North Koreans could keep their supply lines open an hour after a conflict starts. They'll have a good opening shot if war starts, but once the artillery shells are gone they would be in big trouble. I also wonder about the the people in North Korea? Does anyone see them rising up or do you think they are mostly either loyal (decades of propoganda) or starved beyond the ability to rise up? |
| Posted by: ruprecht 2003-05-14 13:08:11 |
| #5 The problem is certainly not defeating them militarily. The problem is that Seoul is an enormous city, but not very far from the DMZ at all. If the DPRK army realized that it was going to be defeated, but decided to go all out using its artillery and missiles to pound Seoul (especially in a pre-emptive attack) we would still easily win a war, but at a terrible cost in civilian casualties. |
| Posted by: John Thacker 2003-05-14 12:59:35 |
| #4 To quote Grant - "Oh, I am heartily tired of hearing about what Lee is going to do. " Bruce Catton noted that while the Army of the Potomac was unsure of its leadership it was absolutely certain of Bobby Lee. ;) |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-05-14 12:45:04 |
| #3 One of my favorite quotes Lucky ! But, I often wonder when information about these "plans" are leaked, whether it might not be an attempt at deception ? For example, when I hear the general breathlessly saying that NKor has 70 percent of its army line up along the DMZ, I am thinking "Hmmm...looks like we need to pin them there while hitting them back in the relatively undefended north -- Seaborne landings ? Airborne ?" |
| Posted by: Carl in NH 2003-05-14 11:27:18 |
| #2 Thats a slam dunk Don. Three days rations in a NK haversack will be used up in one. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2003-05-14 11:04:15 |
| #1 There's the sound of George McClellen again, "and oh, by the way, they have about a million-plus ground forces." Anyone who's been to Korea knows that the terrain channelizes any North to South movement. A million men will be one big traffic jam miles deep into N.Korea under constant interdiction making the Highway of Death(tm) look like a kindergarden playground. Add to the fact that it took days in 1950 for the N.Korean army to reach Seoul with little [but valiant when there was] opposition. Today the dreaded urban sprawl stretches half way to the border from Seoul and the S.Korean Army already has it set up with road blocks and fighting positions [and unlike the Iraqi] from which they will fight for every inch of their home. To quote Grant - "Oh, I am heartily tired of hearing about what Lee is going to do. Some of you always seem to think he suddenly going to turn a double somersault, and land in our rear and on both our flanks at the same time. Go back to your command, and try to think what we are going to do ourselves, instead of what Lee is going to do" |
| Posted by: Don 2003-05-14 09:05:14 |