In its strongest move since the sinking of a South Korean warship, the Obama administration said Saturday that the United States would retain control of all military forces in the South during any conflict with North Korea, which has been widely blamed for the attack on the ship in March that killed 46 sailors.
The announcement was an apparent attempt to signal to the North, which has long wanted American forces off the peninsula, that the United States would remain firmly in control of military operations if war were to break out.
The decision is somewhat symbolic; the United States was not slated to give up wartime control of South Korean troops until 2012, and the new agreement extends the deadline to 2015.
The extension is purely symbolic since South Korea is certainly capable of taking command. But the president wanted to send a message of our level of commitment.
Very good. This applies to Afghanistan, too. And Iraq after 2012, for that matter.
Remember, it doesn't matter how big and powerful we are if our enemies and friends think we are running away. That's why weak states like Iran continue to chase the West, notwithstanding their poverty of means, and get away with it.
