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Vol. 75/No. 9      March 7, 2011

 
Socialists condemn Seoul,
Washington war exercises
 
BY PAUL MAILHOT  
The governments of the United States and South Korea will conduct joint military drills on the Korean Peninsula February 28 through April 30. The annual exercises, called Key Resolve and Foal Eagle, will involve some 13,000 U.S. troops and more than 200,000 South Korean military personnel. The North Korean government in Pyongyang has denounced the yearly provocation as "drills to invade North Korea."

The United Nations Command informed North Korea of the military exercises, calling them “defensive” maneuvers. U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Walter Sharp, however, said the drills would include "a number of realistic scenarios beyond defeating a conventional attack."

An attempt by Pyongyang to start high-level military talks with Seoul to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula prior to the large-scale maneuvers were aborted February 9 after two days of preliminary meetings broke down. Pyongyang blamed the "persistent confrontation policy of the South Korean group" for the failed talks.

In addition to military pressure, Washington continues to mount pressure on working people in North Korea by denying the country food aid, and urging South Korea and other countries to do the same. In January, Pyongyang asked several countries to contribute food supplies because an unexpectedly harsh winter and poor vegetable harvest had badly affected the food supply. It is a situation made worse because it comes on top of United Nations trade sanctions, the suspension of aid by Seoul, and rising international grain prices.

Philip Crowley of the U.S. State Department said Washington has no plans to resume food aid to North Korea, arguing such aid would likely be "shuffled off to the elites."

Socialist Workers Party leader Steve Clark sent a message on behalf of the SWP National Committee February 16 to the Workers Party of Korea condemning "the announcement by Washington and Seoul that they will conduct joint military exercises… .

"We reaffirm our commitment to the Korean people's fight for national reunification and for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops, aircraft, ships, and conventional and nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding air and waters.

“As the global crisis of the capitalist order unfolds today, workers, farmers, and youth engaged in struggle for fundamental political rights and against joblessness and rising prices of food and other necessities—from Egypt and Tunisia, to the United States and beyond—are a source of support and solidarity in the Korean people's fight for national unity and sovereignty."  
 
 
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