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The Commander of the U.S. Forces Korea Gen. Burwell Bell on Tuesday warned Senators in Washington of a growing threat from North Korea¡¯s missile power. Bell told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing the North had 200 Rodong missiles with a range of 1,300 km and around 600 scud missiles capable of striking anywhere on the Korean Peninsula.
"Reports indicate North Korea is also preparing to field a new intermediate-range ballistic missile which could easily reach U.S. facilities in Okinawa, Guam and possibly Alaska," Bell said. It was the first official USFK estimate of Pyongyang¡¯s Rodong missiles, while the 600 Scuds the commander cited are 100 more than mentioned in 2004-2005 congressional reports.
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Gen. James Jones, right, commander of U.S. European Command and supreme allied commander, Europe; Adm. William Fallon, center, commander of U.S. Pacific Command and Gen. Burwell Bell, III, Commander, United Nations and Republic of Korea talk on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, prior to appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill. (AP/Yonhap)
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The general urged a greater role for the United Nations Command, which he promised to mold into a permanent multi-national alliance. That suggests the U.S. plans to step up functions of the UNC under the armistice that officially still prevails on the peninsula while progress is being made on the road to an eventual peace treaty.
The remarks could open a fresh can of worms in the Korea-U.S. alliance by contradicting speculation that the UNC will be dismantled as more powers are handed over to South Korea.
Korean Defense Ministry officials said Bell¡¯s remarks did not imply plans for a reorganization of the UNC but only meant that reopening of railways and roads between the two Koreas in the near future will increase the number of personnel on missions overseeing the Demilitarized Zone.
Bell told senators a Korean Navy base set to be completed by June includes a dock where nuclear-propelled aircraft carriers can anchor. Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung said at a press conference commented, the dock was ¡°not being built with U.S. aircraft carriers in mind. The commander may have pointed to the possibility, but the dock is not for the U.S.¡±
On the matter of wartime operational control of troops, which now rests with the U.S., Bell said the South Korean government asked to start negotiations on the issue and predicted the system would in the long run shift from equally shared command between the two countries to giving South Korean forces the lead while U.S. forces assist them. He said if South Korean forces exercise wartime operational control of the military, the U.S. forces will provide support centered on air and naval forces.
The general also called on South Korea to shoulder more of the cost of keeping U.S. forces on the peninsula, saying its willingness to do so was a good indicator of whether it wants the USFK to remain there. Most of his predecessors have made the same demand.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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