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Trump contradicts U.S. military stance on Korea war games

By ROBERT BURNS and FOS- -- persuading potential ad-
TER KLUG versaries they cannot win
WASHINGTON (AP) — and thus should not attack.
President Donald Trump's Trump's statement was por-
abrupt announcement trayed by critics as an unre-
Tuesday that he will sus- ciprocated concession.
pend U.S. military drills in "Stopping the joint exer-
South Korea appeared to cises has been a long-term
catch the Pentagon and goal for North Korea and
the Seoul government flat- China," two Asia analysts,
footed, and it contradicted Victor Cha and Sue Mi
a pillar of Defense Secre- Terry, wrote in a summit as-
tary Jim Mattis' campaign sessment for the Center for
to make U.S. troops more Strategic and International
combat-ready. Studies. "Trump delivered it
During a news conference while getting nothing in re-
following his summit with turn beyond the same gen-
North Korean leader Kim eralities that North Korea
Jong Un, Trump pushed his has been offering since the
unconventional approach early 1990s."
even further by calling an- Even some Republicans in
nual U.S.-South Korean Congress seemed uneasy
military exercises "provoca- U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he leaves a press conference at the Capella resort on about this. Rep. Ed Royce of
tive." He also said he'd like Sentosa Island Tuesday, June 12, 2018 in Singapore. California, who is chairman
to remove all 28,500 U.S. Associated Press of the House Foreign Affairs
troops stationed in the Committee, applauded
South, although he made North Koreas were "very Koreans or with the military Cory Gardner, Republican Trump for pursuing peace
clear this was an option for happy" about his decision organization most directly of Colorado, said Pence in- through diplomacy, but he
the future, not a part of cur- to freeze the exercises "be- affected: U.S. Forces Korea. dicated that "exercises will also said Kim had "gained
rent negotiations. cause it is so provocative." That U.S. command said it continue," although Sen. much" Tuesday, "including
The U.S. has stationed com- In the wake of Trump's un- had "received no updated Rand Paul, a Kentucky Re- an apparent promise" from
bat troops in South Korea expected, almost offhand guidance on the execution publican, said this referred Trump to suspend military
since the end of the 1950- comments to reporters, or cessation of training ex- to routine, daily training in drills.
53 war and has used them the Pentagon had noth- ercises." South Korea, not the large- Trump also seemed an-
in a variety of large-scale ing to say about the future The South Korean gov- scale war games that noyed that U.S. bomber
drills designed to sharpen of the war games. Several ernment also appeared Trump said are suspended. aircraft make six-plus hour
skills and test troops' ability hours after Trump's remarks, caught off guard. Seoul's Trump's remarks contradict- flights from the Pacific is-
to operate effectively with the Pentagon put out a presidential office told The ed decades of assertions land of Guam to the Ko-
their South Korean partners. brief statement welcom- Associated Press that it by U.S. administrations that rean peninsula as part of its
The next scheduled major ing "positive news" from was trying to parse Trump's military exercises in South exercise routine.
exercise, known as Ulchi Singapore, but it remained comments. The South Kore- Korea are defensive and "Six and a half hours — that's
Freedom Guardian and in- silent on whether Ulchi an military seemed similarly essential to ensuring that a long time for these big
volving tens of thousands Freedom Guardian will pro- surprised. allied forces are ready at massive planes to be flying
of troops, normally is held in ceed. Mattis' chief spokes- "At this current point, there a moment's notice to fight to South Korea to practice
August. woman, Dana W. White, is a need to discern the the North. A favored U.S. and then drop bombs all
"We will be stopping the told reporters he was "in full exact meaning and intent slogan in South Korea is over the place, and then
war games, which will save alignment" with Trump and of President Trump's com- "ready to fight tonight." go back to Guam," Trump
us a tremendous amount had been consulted in ad- ments," Seoul's Defense Mattis often says his num- said. "I know a lot about air-
of money, unless and until vance on all aspects of the Ministry said, adding that ber one priority as Pen- planes; it's very expensive."
we see the future negotia- Singapore talks. there have been no discus- tagon chief is to improve North Korea regularly calls
tion is not going along like "There were no surprises," sions yet with Washington what he calls the "lethality" the military exercises pro-
it should," Trump said in Sin- she said. on modifying drills set for of the military, which in- vocative preparations for
gapore. "But we'll be sav- If Mattis was aware that August. cludes making troops bet- a northward invasion, and
ing a tremendous amount Trump was going to an- A degree of confusion ter equipped, trained and many of the scariest stand-
of money. Plus, I think it's nounce a suspension of arose after Vice President prepared for a full range offs in recent years on the
very provocative." In a later military exercises, he ap- Mike Pence spoke to sena- of combat. In his view, Korean Peninsula have
interview with the Voice of parently did not share that tors at a lunch closed to preparedness equates to happened when the drills
America, Trump said the information with the South media coverage. Sen. more effective deterrence were being staged.q