South Koreans (click here) have staged a protest against a land-swap deal which will see their country host the controversial US defense missile system THAAD. Some living near the host site have also filed a lawsuit against the Defense Ministry, according to attorneys.
Demonstrators holding signs and chanting slogans gathered in front of the Seoul headquarters of retail giant Lotte on Tuesday to protest its deal with the South Korean government....
General Mattis is expected to speak to Japan about THAAD as well. It should be obvious why North Korea is in such a hurry to arm itself.
IT SHOULD ALSO BE OBVIOUS WHY RUSSIA HAS SUCH A DESIRE TO BE COMFY WITH TRUMP!
It doesn't matter if Mattis is promoting THAAD, he is operating under his own steam. There is a good chance Trump may be disapproving Mattis activities. Trump can't complain about General Mattis priorities, he demanded Congress legislate his place in history.
By Bruce Harrison
The new U.S. secretary of defense, (click here) retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, arrived in South Korea Thursday where he recommitted Washington to deploying an advanced missile defense battery to the Korean Peninsula.
But amid South Korea’s fractured politics, it’s still very unclear if the deal brokered under the leadership of now-impeached President Park Geun-hye will hold up.
“Mattis sought to lock in the case, but he has little leverage over the political dynamics in Seoul,” said Mark Fitzpatrick of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Mattis is the first member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet to make an overseas visit. Key Asian ally South Korea is his first stop; Japan is next on the itinerary.
After campaign threats of possibly drawing down military support for South Korea, Trump may be trying to soothe hurt feelings by sending Mattis to Seoul. He may also be attacking an early challenge to his administration: North Korea....
