U.S. mulling relocation of troops from S. Korea to Afghanistan: commander

SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) -- The top U.S. military officer has indicated his
country could deploy American troops in South Korea to Afghanistan in the coming
years, according to a U.S. military paper.
"That's something we're looking very specifically at," Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman
of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, was quoted as saying in the weekend edition of
Stars and Stripes.
"We really haven't closed on whether it's going to be one way or the other," he
was quoted as telling a group of soldiers in Seoul on Oct. 22.
Mullen was in South Korea last week, accompanying U.S. Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates and attending annual security meetings between the two countries.
About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed here as a deterrent against North Korea,
which remains technically at war with the allies after the 1950-53 Korean War
ended in a truce.
"The concern that gets raised with respect to rotating forces out of here is that
it lessens the commitment to the alliance and the Republic of Korea, and nothing
could be further from the truth," Mullen was quoted as saying, referring to South
Korea's official name.
According to Mullen and the paper, about half of the U.S. troops here will be
stationed with their families on two- and three-year tours in about seven to
nine years under a tour normalization plan.
U.S. troops have traditionally come to South Korea on one-year tours.
Gates said last week in Seoul that he would welcome any contributions, including
military ones, by South Korea to help stabilize Afghanistan, where the U.S. is
considering a surge in troop deployment to fight insurgents and reconstruct the
country.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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