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U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Burwell Bell on Tuesday said it was ˇ°time for Washington to reexamine its Defense Treaty with Seoul.ˇ± The U.S. should ˇ°look beyond the narrow scope of the DMZ threat (from North Korea) and solidify the alliance as a pillar of stability and cooperation that will be an example for all the nations of Northeast Asia and the world." Bell made the remarks in a hearing at the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee.
"As an example, after the fall of the former Soviet Union many believed that (NATO) would become obsolete due to the perception that it existed only to deter Soviet aggression during the Cold War,ˇ± he said. But instead of disbanding after the fall of communism, ˇ°NATO has evolved into a multi-dimensional alliance whose members share the fundamental values of democratic principles, individual freedom, and free market enterprise."
It is unprecedented for the USFK commander to urge Congress to reexamine the Korea-U.S. Defense Treaty. His statement is being interpreted as a reaction to the inauguration of a new, U.S.-friendly administration under President Lee Myung-bak in South Korea.
According to a source in Washington, it was an expression of plans ˇ°to cooperate on a global scale." Another source said, "It seems that Gen. Bell accurately conveyed the Defense Department's intention at the Senate hearing before he retires in summer."
However, the security threat from North Korea remains real, Bell said. "North Korea remains the primary threat to security in Northeast Asia,ˇ± he said. ˇ°In view of U.S. economic and security interests in (South Korea) and the region, it is my most considered judgment that the U.S. should set a cooperative policy based on shared interests and values with (Seoul) to maintain a meaningful American troop presence on the Korean Peninsula throughout the 21st century and beyond, even subsequent to a peace treaty with North Korea, should that come about."
Meanwhile, in a press conference after the Senate hearing alongside Bell, Adm. Timothy Keating, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command, said he expected trilateral military talks between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan would produce tangible results in a short period of time. During the initial stage of talks, the three countries will agree small-scale cooperation, and will stage various kinds of drills that can lead to larger-scale exercises in the future, Keating added.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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