Earlier
this month, the Pentagon offered scant details to a group of
concerned lawmakers regarding its assessment of casualties that could
result from a military conflict with North Korea. However, last week,
the Pentagon’s assessment was repudiated by one of its own, when
retired Lt. General Jan-Marc Jouas penned a letter with a different
take to the same group of lawmakers.
In
detailing his views on the potential outcomes of a conflict on the
Korean peninsula, Jouas – the former deputy commander of U.S.
Forces Korea — painted a decidedly troubling picture for
Representatives Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and Senator
Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). While some government officials had
previously warned that the death toll in South Korea’s capital,
Seoul, could reach the tens of thousands within minutes, Jouas – in
addition to noting this near-certitude – also stated that the U.S.
military would be woefully unprepared to take on North Korean forces
within their own territory in spite of the U.S.’ “technological
advantage.”
The
retired general asserted that U.S. forces stationed in South Korea,
totaling around 30,000, would struggle to effectively attack the
North Korean army, due to a stark disadvantage in numbers. Jouas
writes that “the 28,500 U.S. Armed Forces personnel in South
Korea are vastly outnumbered by North Korean forces, as well as ROK
[South Korean] forces that will conduct the overwhelming majority of
the fighting.” North Korea has claimed that its already sizable
armed forces have been recently bolstered by nearly 5 million new
volunteers.
More:
Comments
Post a Comment