U.S.-SOUTH KOREA WILL ESTABLISH "BILATERAL STRATEGY FOR TAILORED DETERRENCE"

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL 

U.S., South Korea Announce 'Tailored Deterrence' Strategy

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 2, 2013 - The United States and South Korea today agreed to establish "a bilateral strategy for tailored deterrence against ... North Korean nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said during a press conference here today.

Hagel and his counterpart, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, spoke to reporters after the 45th Security Consultative Meeting in the South Korean Ministry of Defense building this morning. The annual meeting brings together military and foreign affairs officials from the two nations to discuss alliance, peninsular, regional and global issues.

The tailored deterrence agreement will create a strategic, policy-level framework within the alliance for deterring specific threats, Hagel said, "and help us work together more seamlessly to maximize the effects of our deterrence."

Kim noted both sides have agreed on the need for a "more future-oriented and comprehensive strategic alliance."

In a joint communiqué issued after the meeting, Hagel and Kim condemned North Korea's December 2012 long-range missile launch and its February 2013 nuclear test, and "urged North Korea to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and to cease ... its nuclear programs immediately, including its nuclear activities at Yongbyon, uranium enrichment and construction of a light water reactor."

In his remarks, Hagel also emphasized North Korea's stockpiles of chemical weapons. "There should be no doubt that any North Korean use of chemical weapons would be completely unacceptable," he said.

The communiqué reaffirmed U.S. commitment to provide and strengthen deterrence for South Korea "using the full range of military capabilities, including the U.S. nuclear umbrella, conventional strike, and missile defense capabilities."

It also provides for a "comprehensive counter-missile strategy" to, Kim said, "detect, defend, deter and destroy" threats from the North Korean arsenal.

The agreement states South Korea will "continue to build reliable interoperable response capabilities and to develop the Korean Air and Missile Defense system" and that both sides will further interoperability of the alliance's command and control system.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also attended today's discussions. Other senior U.S. military leaders in the region were present as well, including Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, who leads U.S. Pacific Command, and the outgoing and incoming commanders of U.S. Forces Korea, United Nations Command and Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, Army Gen. James D. Thurman and Army Gen. Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti. Their South Korean counterparts also attended.

Scaparrotti assumed the three-flagged South Korea-based command later in the day from Thurman, who is retiring.

Locklear and Thurman shared their views on regional issues yesterday with reporters traveling with Hagel before the change-of-command ceremony. Locklear noted that units from within his command train and conduct exercises regularly with South Korean forces, which he termed "highly capable and very professional."

Thurman, who has commanded the roughly 28,500 U.S. service members in South Korea for two and a half years, noted that during his tenure readiness across the joint and combined force has been his highest priority.

During his command, he said, South Korean military forces have continued to "demonstrate their expertise in the air, on the ground and in the maritime domains."

Thurman said he remains confident the allies can defend the peninsula, which has been in a state of suspended war since North and South Korea signed an armistice in July 60 years ago. The United States fought side-by-side with South Korean forces during that war, he noted, and the two countries signed a mutual defense treaty in 1953, 60 years ago yesterday.

Thurman said the alliance is based on shared values, combined hard work, and a collective commitment to stability involving the U.N. sending states, South Korea and the United States.

"Since the Korean War, the Republic of Korea has been one of the greatest success stories of our time," he said. "They went from a country that was torn apart by war ... [to] a very vibrant democracy, a global economic power, a vital security partner and a world leader."

That success, Thurman added, "is an important example of what a great alliance can accomplish together, and it is worth defending together."

GUARDING AGAINST COMPLACENCY IN KOREA

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
U.S.-South Korean Leaders Guard Against Complacency
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 1, 2013 - The state of the U.S.-South Korea alliance is strong, but the allies cannot become complacent in face of changes in North Korea, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said here today.

While the North Korean conventional military threat is deteriorating, the regime's asymmetric threats are growing, Dempsey said during an interview with reporters traveling with him.

The United States is concerned about the demonstrated North Korean nuclear capability, Dempsey said. The North Koreans have not demonstrated that they can weaponize a nuclear weapon, "but we can't be complacent about the possibility."

North Korea has launched a primitive satellite into orbit. They are developing cyber capabilities and they have the largest special operations force in the region. "When you add all that up and their stated attempt to drive the United States off the peninsula and re-unify it under their terms, yeah we're very concerned," he said.

The U.S.-South Korea alliance has been an incredible success story, Dempsey said. In the 60 years of the pact, South Korea has risen from a war devastated Third World country to the 12th largest economy on the globe. The bulwark of the security shield has made this possible.

"Our discussions about rebalancing to the Pacific generally start with our relationship with the [Republic of Korea] in mind," Dempsey said. "Is there room for improvement? As the threat changes the ballistic missile threat from the North has increased, cyber threats have increased and so as a good ally what we're discussing is how we adapt to those changing threats."

In thinking of the alliance, military leaders assessed the changing threats, he said. They also look at the evolution, maturity and development of the South Korean forces as they exist today. Then, they look at what capabilities South Korea needs and to integrate them into their capabilities.

"We are very well postured not just on the peninsula, but we have forces in the region that also have the capability to bring national military power to bear," Dempsey said.

During a town hall meeting earlier in Yongsan, Dempsey told American service members that the Pacific strategy is becoming increasingly important to the United States.

South Korea America's oldest ally in the region remains important. "It would be in our interests to maintain the partnership and continue enhancing it," he said. "I find a pretty significant commitment on their part to maintain our presence in the Republic of Korea. I think that will remain true certainly until the issue with North Korea is resolved."

But he suspects the alliance will continue after any resolution of the problems with North Korea. There is a certain appreciation for the stabilizing influence the United States has in the region, he said. "This is a long-term commitment, it's not one-way," Dempsey said.

U.S. WORKS WITH JAPAN TO EASE SECURITY CONCERNS

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, listens as Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera makes a comment as they brief the press at the Pentagon, April 29, 2013. DOD photo by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Aaron Hostutler

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Hagel, Onodera Discuss U.S.-Japanese Security Concerns
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 29, 2013 - North Korea, the East China Sea and creating a new working group for joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities were on the table as Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera met here today.

The U.S.-Japan alliance remains the cornerstone of security and prosperity in Northeast Asia, Hagel reaffirmed following Pentagon meetings.

The most obvious threat to stability in Northeast Asia is North Korea. The two men agreed to close cooperation and coordination to monitor and respond if needed to North Korean provocations. This will most definitely include increased cooperation on missile defense.

"Today we made progress on plans to deploy a second TPY-2 radar to Japan, which will help protect both of our nations from the threat of North Korean ballistic missiles," Hagel said during a news conference following the meeting. "The United States remains steadfast in our defense commitments to Japan, including extended deterrence and a further nuclear umbrella."

Onodera and Hagel discussed continuing friction in the East China Sea. Hagel stressed the American position that the regional security challenge must be resolved peacefully and cooperatively between the parties involved.

"In our discussion today, I reiterated the principles that govern longstanding U.S. policy on the Senkaku Islands," the secretary said. "The United States does not take a position on the ultimate sovereignty of the islands, but we do recognize they are under the administration of Japan and fall under our security treaty obligations."

China and Japan both claim the islands, and confrontations have resulted from the conflicting claims.

"Any actions that could raise tensions or lead to miscalculations affect the stability of the entire region," Hagel said. "Therefore, the United States opposes any unilateral or coercive action that seeks to undermine Japan's administrative control."

Hagel and Onodera agreed that Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan security treaty applies to the Senkaku Islands and "that we are opposed to any unilateral action that aims to change the status quo by force," the Japanese defense minister said through a translator.

Hagel said Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivered that message to Chinese officials during his visit to Beijing last week.

U.S. and Japanese defense planners also looked beyond the short-range threats in the region. The United States is working to rebalance forces to the Asia-Pacific area, and within the theater is rebalancing forces in Japan.

"Our staffs have been working for some time on a review of roles, missions and capabilities to inform any revisions to the defense guidelines that underpin our alliance cooperation," Hagel said.

The staffs identified intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities as a critical priority.

"Today we announce the formation of a defense ISR working group to deepen cooperation in this area," the secretary said.

The two leaders discussed moving U.S. forces in Japan, and specifically on Okinawa. Onodera said he and Hagel confirmed U.S. plans to send 12 MV-22 Ospreys through Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni this summer and then move them to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

Onodera also invited Hagel to Japan for "Two-Plus-Two" meetings that bring together U.S. and Japanese ministers of defense and foreign affairs.

GENERAL DEMPSEY DISCUSSES MULTITUDE OF SUBJECTS WITH CHINESE LEADERS

 

Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry A Kissinger , left, and U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, meet in Beijing, China, Apr 23, 2013. DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
China Visit Sparks Dynamic Engagements, Dempsey Says

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

BEIJING, April 24, 2013 - With his visit to China nearly complete, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said today he has been afforded good access to senior Chinese leaders, junior leaders and future leaders.

Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a media roundtable that one thread common to the meetings he's attended here is that with power comes responsibility -- local, regional and, increasingly, global.

Dempsey said his discussions in China, which is widely considered the world's greatest rising power, have ranged from regional concerns such as territorial disputes to the potentially global issue of North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Other major topics in his talks here this week, he said, included growing risk in the cyber domain and the U.S. rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region.

Earlier this week, Dempsey met separately with Chinese President Xi Jinping and State Councilor Yang Jiechi. He also met individually and in some group meetings with senior Chinese army officers, including Gen. Chang Wanguan, minister of national defense; Gen. Fan Changlong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission; and his host for this visit, Gen. Fang Fenghui, chief of the general staff.

Addressing reporters' questions on North Korea today, Dempsey said the ballistic missile and nuclear tests Pyongyang has conducted show that nation is "on a path that will certainly increase risk in the region, and ultimately could present risk globally."

The United States has responded to North Korean provocations in the past, he noted, by denouncing North Korea's path toward nuclear weapons and its failure to live up to agreements and U.N. Security Council resolutions against such development. The U.S. military posture toward a nuclear-armed North Korea is one of deterrence and preparedness, the chairman said.

"If they were to launch, we do have the capability to defend ourselves, our people, our facilities," Dempsey added.

China, North Korea's primary ally along with Russia, has been very clear that among its national interests is a non-nuclearized Korean Peninsula, Dempsey said. He added that he will leave China believing that its leaders are "as concerned as we are" about the issue.

Dempsey said his meetings here did not touch on specific measures the Chinese might take in response to further North Korean actions.

"We think there's still time for North Korea's leaders to back away from further provocations, and we certainly hope they take the opportunity to do so," he added.

To questions on cyber concerns involving China, Dempsey said he has the advantage of being able to build on decisions that already have been taken. He noted that during Secretary of State John F. Kerry's visit here earlier this month, the Chinese agreed to form a cyber working group.

"I reinforced my belief that that was timely and appropriate," the chairman said. "We had a very useful discussion about how the challenges in cyber are migrating from theft to disruption, and left unaddressed, are likely to lead to destruction."

The nations that have the strongest economies and rely most on technology are most vulnerable to cyber activity, Dempsey said. In discussions with Chinese leaders, he said, "I encouraged them to put their best and brightest minds to seek a level of collaboration and transparency with us, because it will affect both of our futures."

The chairman said he supports developing a code of conduct for cyber activity, likening the concept to Albert Einstein's assertion that "if I had 60 minutes to save the world, I should spend 55 minutes understanding the problem and only five minutes solving it."

"I think we're in that '55 minutes,'" Dempsey said. "I think we're in that period of gaining a common understanding. ... Cyber continues to evolve, whether we would like it to or not."

State, nonstate and individual actors all operate in the cyber domain, he said, and while cyber originated as an open-architecture system designed to allow information to move freely, "there has to be some code of conduct established."

The chairman also responded to reporters' questions about the territorial dispute between China and Japan over a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, adjacent to possible undersea oil reserves. Japan refers to them as the Senkaku Islands, while in China they are known as the Diaoyu Islands.

Dempsey noted the United States doesn't take sides in such disputes and urges peaceful resolution to all such issues.
In discussions, both he and the Chinese were "very candid" about their respective positions on the islands, he said.

"In the case of Japan, in particular, I was careful to remind them that we do have certain treaty obligations with Japan that we would honor," the chairman said. "And therefore, it was in everyone's best interest that this be resolved peacefully and without military coercion."

The chairman said many of the senior and mid-level Chinese military leaders he spoke with here sought clarity about the U.S. rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region.

"I think I was successful in describing it as a long-term process," he said. "We've never suggested this would be something that would manifest itself overnight. But also, it was a strategic imperative for us to rebalance, over time, to the Pacific."

Economic, security, and demographic trends all lead to the Asia-Pacific region, he said.

"Furthermore, I tell them this wasn't about them, meaning China. Of course they're a factor, ... but this wasn't a strategy that was aimed at them in any way," Dempsey said.

The chairman added that military considerations are only part of the broader U.S. regional strategy. "I pointed out to them that among the first visitors who came here after our ... rebalancing initiative was announced was Jack Lew, the secretary of the treasury," he said.

Dempsey noted that President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping have discussed forging a new relationship between the two countries. "That new relationship will, of course, be established in the context of our other and enduring relationships in the region," he said.

In every case, Dempsey said, discussion about the rebalance was dynamic.

"I like to believe that my trip here has contributed to a greater understanding of what we're doing and why," he said. "But it's something that we're going to have to continue to work over time."

Today, the chairman visited China's National Defense University, the 4th Aviation Regiment and the Army Aviation Academy.

The cadets Dempsey spoke with are training to become either maintainers or pilots of aircraft, he noted. In discussion with the Chinese cadets, Dempsey said, "they probably asked me a dozen or more questions. One of the questions was about an issue of geostrategic importance, and 11 of them were about leadership."

"It was fascinating, actually," he added. "I found them to be genuinely interested in how I described myself as a leader, what were the attributes I thought were important, ... [and] the difference between junior-level leadership and senior-level leadership."

The chairman said his answer to the cadets was fundamentally the same thing he would tell a junior military leader in the U.S. forces.

"That is, that what we expect our junior leaders to do is to become competent in their chosen fields, so if you're an aviator, you should aspire to be the best aviator that you can be," Dempsey said. "And then, spend as much time thinking about how to be a man or woman of character, because leadership is the combination of competence and character."

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF WANTS MORE STRATEGIC DIALOGUE WITH CHINA

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Dempsey Urges More Strategic Dialogue Between China, U.S.
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

BEIJING, April 22, 2013 - The strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific doesn't mean deploying high numbers of U.S. troops into the region, but it does involve more interest, more engagement and more quality in equipment and capabilities, America's senior military officer said here today.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Fang Fenghui, chief of the general staff for the Chinese army, spoke to reporters here during a news conference following about three hours of meetings at the Bayi Building, China's ministry of national defense.

"My theme [on this visit] is quite simple, actually -- a stable and prosperous region is in everyone's best interest," Dempsey said.

The two leaders met before the news conference during a small-group meeting for about an hour, then moved to a larger group meeting. As translators rendered Dempsey's remarks in Mandarin and Fang's in English at the news conference, the pair spoke with similar voices on topics including terrorism, North Korea, disaster relief and cyberattacks.

Responding to a reporter's question asking his stance on North Korean nuclear capability, Fang said he always has maintained that the Korean Peninsula should be free of nuclear weapons.

"We are thoroughly opposed to the nuclear test conducted by the [North Korean government]," he said. "We support the U.N. Security Council in appropriate and reasonable sanctions against North Korea."

Fang said he thinks peaceful dialogue is the most desirable approach to resolving multinational concerns about North Korea's nuclear ambitions. The last round of six-party talks aimed at the issue -- involving North and South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia -- was in 2009.

"We ask all sides to work actively ... [to persuade] the North Koreans to stop the nuclear tests and to stop producing nuclear weapons," he said.

Fang also answered a question about cyberattacks in the wake of recent reports that many are launched from within China's army and said cyberattacks are a concern for all "big cyber countries."

If the Internet is not managed well, he said, "it may bring damaging consequences." He added, "If the security of the Internet cannot be guaranteed, then ... results may be as serious as a nuclear bomb."

China is a major victim of cyberattacks, he said, and the nation's leaders have no tolerance for it. Fang pointed out, however, that pinpointing the source of attacks can be very difficult, as the Internet is open to everyone and attacks can be launched from anywhere.

"General Dempsey and I have already talked about the importance of maintaining cybersecurity," he said. "I believe it is important that we check out the idea that we should jointly work on this issue."

Dempsey responded to a reporter's assertion that three obstacles inhibit U.S.-Chinese relations: U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, reconnaissance by U.S. ships and aircraft, and "the discriminatory laws against China." The reporter asked what the United States can do to improve the relationship.

"We talked about all three of those issues today, and another three, four or five beyond that," the chairman said. "And maybe isn't that the point? It's the first time we've spoken about these issues."

The two nations have frequent military-to-military contact on the tactical level, Dempsey said, but could benefit by more frequent senior-leader engagement. "It's our desire, both of us, that we maintain dialogue at the strategic level. ... We are committed to building a better, deeper, more enduring relationship," the chairman added.

It's important that each side do that while keeping in mind the other side's commitments to other nations, Dempsey said. The United States considers its relationship with China in the context of historic and enduring alliances in the region, he noted.

"This isn't about choosing any one or the other," he said. "We have some treaty obligations, but we will build this relationship by increasing our contact at the strategic level and recognizing [those alliances]."

The final question was to Dempsey, asking why the United
States conducts military exercises in China's vicinity. Dempsey said the answer "is probably at the core of why I've made this visit."

The United States is and has been a Pacific power, and while its military has been particularly active and busy in the Middle East, it has never left and will not leave the Asia-Pacific, the chairman said.

"Our intention, of course, is to contribute to stability in a way that protects our national interests, which are very much tied to this region," he said.

Dempsey said the United States seeks to be a stabilizing influence in the region. "We believe that it would be our absence that would be a destabilizing influence on the region, not our presence," he added.

Fang led the news conference by welcoming Dempsey and his delegation, and said he hopes the chairman's visit furthers the exchange of ideas between the two nations' militaries.

In his opening remarks, Dempsey thanked Fang for his hospitality and offered his condolences for the victims of the April 21 Sichuan magnitude 7.0 earthquake, a temblor that left a reported 189 people dead and injured more than 11,000. The chairman also complimented Fang on the Chinese army's quick response after the earthquake, and the general's leadership of that effort.

The chairman also expressed sympathy for the family of Lu Lingzi, a Chinese graduate student who had been pursuing a master's degree at Boston University when she was killed in the Boston Marathon bombings April 15.

She "was a gifted student, tragically killed," he said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to her grieving family."

Dempsey arrived in Beijing yesterday after a stop in South Korea. Later this week, he will continue his Asia trip with a visit to Japan.

PENTAGON ASKS NORTH KOREA TO TONE DOWN RHETORIC

Texas Air National Guard Post During Korean War.  Credit:  DOD.   

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Little: North Koreans 'Need to Dial the Temperature Down'
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2013 - The world cannot afford a miscalculation when dealing with North Korea, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told CNN.

North Korea's flouting of international agreements has made that nation a pariah. Recent rhetoric emanating from Pyongyang has increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, and this needs to stop, Little said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ratcheted up the rhetoric since taking power after his father died. North Korea has tested long-range rockets, launched a satellite into orbit and tested nuclear weapons -- all in defiance of its pledged word to the United Nations.

And, North Korea continues to escalate the war of words by saying the 1953 armistice between North Korea and the United Nations is null and void. Kim has threatened to attack local, regional and international targets.

Little emphasized that the United States stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its South Korean ally.

"I'm not going to speculate on what we may or may not do," Little said. "Our desire is peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. The North Koreans have two choices. They can choose the path of peace or they can choose the path of provocation. One is better than the other for everyone involved, including the North Korean military and the North Korean people."

South Korea is hosting a joint military exercise now. Following North Korea's saber rattling, nuclear-capable B-52 Stratofortress and B-2 Spirit bombers have participated in the maneuvers.

Kim has said North Korea is targeting U.S. bases in South Korea and said its tube- and rocket-launched artillery can range Seoul -- a city of 20 million.

Meanwhile, the United States is maintaining a sober, calm, cool, collected demeanor.

"That's what we're doing right now," Little said. "And we are assuring our South Korean allies day-to-day that we stand with them in the face of these provocations."

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is concerned about the risk of miscalculation in view of current events on the Korean Peninsula, Little said.

"We have guarded against miscalculation on the Korean Peninsula for over 60 years," the press secretary said. "And the secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, it's their job to ensure that our military is prepared to respond to any threat or contingency. We are.

"We hope to avoid miscalculation," Little added. "We think we can. The North Koreans simply need to dial the temperature down."

PENTAGON SAYS THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA NOT HELPFUL

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
North Korean Threats Help No One, Pentagon Official Says
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2013 - The newest threats by North Korea follow a well-worn pattern designed to raise tensions and intimidate others, Pentagon Press Secretary George E. Little said today.

According to news reports out of North Korea this week, long-range artillery and strategic rocket units have been ordered to prepare to deploy.

The United States is concerned by any activities on the Korean Peninsula that could raise tensions, Little said in a meeting with reporters. "It's not just artillery," he noted. "North Korea has nuclear capabilities, so the full range of their arsenal is of concern to the United States and to our South Korean allies."

North Korea's threats help no one, Little said, and serve only to further isolate North Korea and undermine international efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region.

The decision earlier this month to place 14 additional ground-based interceptors at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., was based in large part on growing threats from North Korea, Little said.

In addition to the recent mobilization order, in recent months North Korea has conducted nuclear testing, placed a satellite into orbit and continued development of its intercontinental missile program. "The facts are that the North Koreans are developing their missile capabilities in violation of international law and norms of international behavior," Little said, "and they need to stop."

The chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the U.S. general who commands the U.S.-Republic of Korea Combined Forces Command announced March 24 that they had signed a combined plan to counter threats from North Korea. The classified agreement is led by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff and supported by U.S. Forces Korea, Little said. The agreement is part of a robust architecture supporting a larger joint planning effort that has been under way for some time, he added.

"We are moving forward to take new steps on a combined command and control structure for the [U.S.-South Korea] alliance," Little said. The counter-provocation plan serves as a representation of the continued development of strategic, operational and tactical cooperation, he said.

"It improves our combined readiness posture and allows immediate and decisive response to any North Korean provocation," Little added.

"It's very important that we do everything we can to stabilize the peninsula and not take rhetoric to where it shouldn't go," he said, "and that's what the North Koreans are doing right now, and that should cease."

The United States takes everything the North Korean government says and does seriously, Little said.

"We continue to urge North Korean leadership to heed the president's call to choose a path of peace and to come into compliance with North Korea's international obligations," he added

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY AND RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER SHOYGU DISCUSS SECURITY ISSUES

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Hagel, Russian Counterpart Discuss Mutual Security Issues
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2013 - Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu made a congratulatory call to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and the two leaders discussed a range of issues, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said yesterday.

Hagel and Shoygu discussed the ongoing security transition in Afghanistan, Little said in a statement.

"Secretary Hagel assured his counterpart that the handover of security responsibilities is progressing as the capabilities of the Afghan national security forces continue to improve," he added.

Hagel said the United States would keep Russia and all concerned apprised throughout the process, and he encouraged close bilateral cooperation on other issues, including Syria, North Korea and Iran.

"Minister Shoygu expressed his desire to reconvene missile defense discussions with the U.S. at the deputy minister level," Little said. "Secretary Hagel agreed and reiterated that this is an important part of U.S.-Russian relations."

Hagel assured the minister that these discussions would continue and be carried forward by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Jim Miller, the press secretary noted.

"Secretary Hagel expressed his appreciation for the call, as well as his desire to continue close coordination on a range of global issues," Little said.

U.S..-SOUTH KOREA SIGN PLAN TO COUNTER THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Officials Sign Plan to Counter North Korean Threats
From a Combined Forces Command News Release

YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea, March 24, 2013 - The chairman of the South Korean military's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the U.S. Army general who leads the Republic of Korea-United States Combined Forces Command have signed a combined plan to counter future threats from North Korea.

Gen. Jung Seung-jo and Gen. James D. Thurman, who also commands U.S. Forces Korea, signed the Combined Counter-Provocation Plan on March 22.

The South Korean-led, U.S.-supported contingency plan was developed by mutual agreement between the Joint Chiefs chairmen of both countries after a November 2010 North Korean artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island.

Officials said the plan includes procedures for consultation and action. It also improves the readiness posture to allow for a strong and decisive combined South Korean and U.S. response to North Korean provocations and threats, they added.

CARTER-ETO DISCUSS U.S.-JAPAN DEFENSE GUIDELINES

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
In Japan, Carter and Eto Discuss Common Issues
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan, March 17, 2013 - On the first stop of his weeklong trip to Asia, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter met today with Senior Vice Defense Minister Akinori Eto at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo.

During a substantive meeting here, the defense leaders discussed issues of importance to the U.S.-Japan alliance, a cornerstone of peace and stability for Japan and across the Asia-Pacific region, according to senior defense officials traveling with Carter.

Carter and Eto discussed the region's security situation, including the threat from North Korea, which last month conducted its third nuclear test. Last April, North Korea displayed what looked to be a mobile intercontinental ballistic missile and in December launched a Taepodong-2 missile that put a satellite into orbit.

Such exploits demonstrate North Korean progress in developing long-range missile technology, and today Carter affirmed the steadfast and enduring U.S. commitment to the defense of Japan.

The deputy secretary highlighted Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's announcement on Friday that outlined a series of steps the United States will take to stay ahead of the challenge posed by North Korea's development of such technology.

Carter and Eto also discussed the U.S.-Japan Defense Guidelines, which define what roles the U.S. military and Japan's Self-Defense Forces would play if Japan would come under attack.

Other topics included the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, the relocation of Marines to Guam as part of the rebalance to Asia, and the future of the alliance, officials said.

The men pledged to stay in contact and to maintain close cooperation on critical issues, and both expressed a desire to have Hagel and Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera meet in the near future.

As Carter continues his Asia trip, he will meet tomorrow with defense officials in Seoul, and then travel to Manila in the Philippines and to Jakarta in Indonesia before returning to the United States March 21

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL SAYS BALLISTIC MISSILE INTERCEPTOR NUMBERS WILL INCREASE TO PROTECT U.S.

First U.S. Anti-Ballistic Missile Site.   Located In N. Dakota.  Credit:  DOD.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Hagel: U.S. Bolstering Missile Defense
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2013 - The United States will add more ground-based ballistic missile interceptors to its arsenal to guard against increased threats from North Korea and Iran, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced today.

North Korean and Iranian missile capabilities have increased and the United States must stay ahead of that threat, Hagel said. Both have developed longer range ballistic missiles, and North Korea has now conducted three nuclear tests, followed by stepped up threats against the United States and South Korea.

The Pentagon will deploy 14 more ground-based interceptors in locations at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif, Hagel said, boosting the total number from 30 to 44. The added interceptors will provide a nearly 50 percent increase in U.S. missile defense capability, Hagel said.

"The United States has missile defense systems in place to protect us from limited ICBM attacks, but North Korea in particular has recently made advances in its capabilities and is engaged in a series of irresponsible and reckless provocations," Hagel said.

Last month, North Korea conducted its third nuclear test. In December 2012, the North launched a satellite into orbit, demonstrating an intercontinental ballistic missile capability. In April 2012, Pyongyang also displayed what appeared to be a mobile intercontinental ballistic missile capability.

Hagel also said the United States will team with Japan to deploy an additional advanced radar there. The radar will provide improved early warning and tracking of any missile launched in North Korea at the United States or Japan.

Hagel said DOD is also conducting environmental impact studies for a potential additional interceptor site in the United States. Officials are looking for two sites on the East Coast and one on the West. While the administration has not made a decision on whether to proceed, conducting environmental impact studies will shorten the timeline of construction should a decision be made, he explained. Hagel also announced plans to restructure the SM3-2B program, a land-based standard missile, with plans to deploy it as part of the European phase-adapted approach. "The purpose was to add protection of the U.S. homeland already provided by our current GBIs [ground based interceptors] against missile threats in the Middle East," Hagel said.

The secretary said shifting resources from the "lagging program" to fund the additional interceptors and kill vehicle technology that will improve performance of the GBI and other versions of the SM3 interceptor allows the U.S. to add protection against missiles from Iran and North Korea sooner.

Hagel reemphasized the United States' "iron-clad" commitment to missile defense. "The missile deployments the United States is making in phases 1 through 3 of the European phase-adaptive approach, including sites in Poland and Romania, will still be able to provide coverage of all European NATO territory as planned by 2018," he said.

The overall result will improve the U.S. ability to counter future missile threats from Iran and North Korea while being good stewards of taxpayers' resources, Hagel said.

"The American people expect us to take every necessary step to protect our security at home and U.S. strategic interests abroad," he said. "But they expect us to do so in the most efficient and effective manner possible."

U.S. ROLE IN SOUTH KOREA REAFFIRMED

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
U.S. Commander Reaffirms U.S. Commitment to South Korea
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2013 - The top U.S. and United Nations commander in Korea today reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to South Korea's defense and urged North Korea to cease provocative actions.

Army Gen. James D. Thurman, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, United Nations Command and Combined Forces Command, addressed a recent North Korean threat to nullify the 1953 armistice that ended open warfare on the Korean Peninsula.

"For 60 years, the armistice agreement has ensured peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," he said. "It concerns me when any signatory to a mutual agreement makes a public statement contrary to that agreement.

"As the UNC commander, I am charged to fully enforce the conditions of the armistice," Thurman continued. "The success of the armistice has enabled the Republic of Korea to become a vibrant democracy, and we remain ready to defend the Republic of Korea."

The United States calls on North Korea to refrain from additional provocative actions that would violate its international obligations and run counter to its commitments, the general added.

The latest provocations come on the heels of the U.N. Security Council agreeing to new sanctions after a third North Korean nuclear test last month.

Threats of provocations will only further isolate North Korea and undermine international efforts to ensure peace and stability in Northeast Asia, said Army Lt. Col. Cathy Wilkinson, a Pentagon spokeswoman. "The United States is firmly committed to the defense of the Republic of Korea and to the maintenance of regional peace and stability," she added.

Wilkinson also noted that annual defense-oriented training exercises such as "Key Resolve" and "Foal Eagle" are designed to increase alliance readiness to defend South Korea, protect the region and maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula.

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT STATEMENT ON MISSILE DEFENSE DEPLOYMENTS

Photo Credit:  U.S. Navy.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Missile Defense
February 27, 2013

The United States is deploying missile defenses around the world to protect the United States, our deployed forces, and our allies from ballistic missile threats.

In the Asia-Pacific region, the United States is focused on defending U.S. forces as well as our allies against the threat from North Korea. Additionally, we have deployed a number of missile defense assets in the region. For example, we have deployed a missile defense radar in Japan, and we have several U.S. ships operating in the Sea of Japan, with the missile defense mission. We are also discussing with Japan the possibility of deploying a second radar in Japan, which will assist with the defense of the United States, Japan against threats from North Korea.

U.S.-Japan cooperation is very close and substantial. In addition to the U.S. capability in the region, Japan has also developed and deployed its own missile defense assets. For example, Japan has several Aegis class ships that have a missile defense capability and they have also deployed the Patriot air missile defense system.

NORTHERN COMMAND UPGRADING BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSES

Technicians prepare a ground based Interceptor for emplacement into Missile Field 2 at the Missile Defense Complex at Fort Greely, Alaska, Feb. 25, 2012. U.S. Northern Command is collaborating closely with the Missile Defense Agency to improve the capability of systems designed to counter threats to the homeland. Missile Defense Agency photo by Ralph Scott.

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ARMED WITH SCIENCE
Northcom to Upgrade Ballistic Missile Defenses
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., Jan. 9, 2013 - While refining the systems that protect the homeland against long-range ballistic missile attacks, the United States is advancing technologies to counter the growing threat of short- and medium-range missiles launched by rogue states or terrorists, a top U.S. Northern Command officer told American Forces Press Service.

North Korea's successful long-range missile launch last month in violation of U.N. resolutions, and Iran's reported testing of a new, mid-range surface-to-air missile last week represent two ends of the spectrum that U.S. missile defenses must be prepared to address, said Air Force Brig. Gen. Kenneth E. Todorov, Northcom's deputy operations director.

Toward that end, Todorov said he envisions an integrated system capable of detecting and intercepting the full range of ballistic missile threats, conceivably within the decade. And ideally, he said it will dovetail with NATO's European Phased Adaptive Approach Missile Defense System being phased in to counter short-, medium- and long-range missiles, primarily from the Middle East.

Almost since its inception more than a half-century ago, North American Aerospace Defense Command has focused primarily on long-range ballistic missile threats. However, in light of proliferation, and the willingness of bad actors to deliver sophisticated missile technology to countries or organizations hostile to the United States, it also recognizes the threat posed by shorter-range missiles, Todorov said.

NORAD commander Army Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr. and his staff monitor the half-dozen space launches that take place around the globe every day and assess if any pose a threat to the U.S. or Canada. But because NORAD's mission is missile warning -- not missile defense -- Jacoby would act in his capacity as Northcom commander to authorize an engagement, Todorov explained.

"General Jacoby refers to this mission as part of the sacred trust he has with the American people," Todorov said. "He, and we as a command, are responsible for defending the U.S. homeland against ballistic missile threats."

That capability is delivered through the Ballistic Missile Defense System. Todorov described it as a "system of systems architecture" of networked space-based and terrestrial sensors able to detect and track missile threats to North America.

Currently arrayed toward both the Atlantic and Pacific, the deployed sensors are postured to identify inbound threats from either theater, he said. Based on well-rehearsed protocols, the system is designed to destroy threat missiles in space before they reach their intended targets.

Members of the Alaska National Guard's 49th Missile Defense Battalion stand on 24/7 alert at Fort Greeley, Alaska, ready to launch the 26 ground-based interceptors there at a moment's notice. Other members of the Colorado National Guard's 100th Missile Defense Brigade maintain and man four additional interceptors at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

"These are 300 National Guardsmen defending 300 million citizens of the United States, Todorov said. "They are the no-kidding, 24/7 watch, watching for threats and waiting for them to come. And if they come, they are going to shoot them down."

Jacoby said he's confident in Northcom's ability to leverage existing capabilities to defend the United States against limited long-range ballistic missile threats. But as these threats evolve, he said ballistic missile defenses must evolve, too.

That, Tordov said, requires building on existing ballistic missile defenses to keep a step ahead of potential adversaries.

Much of the United States' missile defense focus has been on the NATO system that will offer broad protection to Europe once it is fully deployed in 2020 -- and by extension, to the United States and Canada.

Meanwhile, Northcom is collaborating closely with the Missile Defense Agency to improve the capability of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense System, which is designed to defeat long-range ballistic missiles.

"We have focused very hard on improving GMD system capabilities since it became operational in 2006," Todorov said. "But as we go forward as a command, one thing that we will change will be our emphasis and focus on short- and medium-range missile defense of the homeland."

Instead of developing new independent systems to address these threats, Todorov said the better approach is to build on existing defense capabilities.

"Rather than looking at these systems independently -- the GMD system to fight the long-range threat and another system that might fight the medium-range one and another that might fight the short range -- let's try to build them into an interconnecting group of systems that we can refer to as an integrated air and missile defense," he said.

"The same sensors won't be able to do it all," he acknowledged. "But hopefully there will be some connects and shared data, with shared information and shared situational awareness between the sensors. Each of those will help us tie the picture together."

With work on this integrated system already under way, Todorov anticipates "cylinders of capability" that will be fielded as they are developed, probably within the next few years.

"Then as it develops and matures, I think we will start to knit the capabilities together to strengthen the numbers, if you will, and overlapping sensors from the short-range to the medium-range to the long-range," he said.

Within the next 10 years, Todorov said he hopes to have an interconnected and overlapping system of systems that provides stronger, more reliable defenses than any individual systems could. "With the synergy among all of it, one plus one will equal three," he said.

The success of that endeavor will be vital to the United States' long-term security, he said.

"We can't take anything for granted," Todorov said. "There are adversaries out there and groups of people and nation states that would like to do us harm."

The 9/11 Memorial outside the NORAD and Northcom headquarters, built of rubble from the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon and soil from the Shanksville, Pa., crash site, offers a daily reminder to workers here of the gravity of their homeland defense mission.

"I think it is our job, every day, to walk past that 9/11 Memorial as we come in here and think, 'We are not going to let anybody do harm to us like they did on that day,'" Todorov said.

U.S.-RUSSIA RELATIONS

 

Photo: Saint Basil's Cathedral, Moscow in winter. From: CIA World Factbook

 
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Relations With Russia
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
Fact Sheet
December 14, 2012
The United States seeks a relationship with Russia based on cooperation in the pursuit of mutual interests and a frank and open discussion of disagreements based on mutual respect as the two countries seek to address the shared challenges of the 21st century.

Russia matters for the defense and promotion of U.S. national interests in a way matched by few other countries in the world. Russia is the world’s largest country by landmass and is a key geopolitical player in the East Asia-Pacific region, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Europe. Russia and the U.S. collectively control over 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons, and Russia is the world’s largest producer of hydrocarbons. It is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a member of the G8 and G20, and a key player in the Quartet on Middle East peace, the P5+1 talks on Iran, and the Six-Party talks on North Korea.

On such critical issues as preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, combating terrorism, countering narcotics, addressing the effects of climate change, increasing trade and investment to enhance economic prosperity, and managing global financial markets, the United States is better positioned to advance our national interests if we can work with Russia in the spirit of cooperation. Russia’s long-term prosperity, modernity, integration into the global economy, and political liberalization are all in the interest of the United States.

The New START Treaty was signed on April 8, 2010, and entered into force on February 5, 2011, and demonstrates U.S. and Russian leadership in reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the world. New START reduces the limits on the number of U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear arms by a third and restores important verification and inspection measures. On April 13, 2010, the two countries also signed a Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement, which will enable the disposal of 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium on each side, or enough for about 17,000 nuclear weapons. On January 11, 2011, the U.S. and Russia concluded an agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation, establishing a legal basis for cooperation and expanding opportunities for U.S. companies in Russia.

In terms of stabilizing Afghanistan, Russia has been a critical partner. Thanks to Russia’s agreement to allow the transit of U.S. personnel and equipment across Russian territory in support of the ISAF mission, as of June 2012, more than 2,374 flights and over 404,000 military personnel have transited this corridor, while Russia’s ground transit arrangement with NATO has resulted in the shipment of over 50,000 containers of supplies to Afghanistan.

We are working together to prevent Iran and North Korea from pursuing nuclear weapons programs. Together with Russia, we crafted United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929, which introduced the most comprehensive set of multilateral sanctions to date on Iran. In 2010 Russia canceled the planned sale of an advanced air-defense system (the S-300) to Iran, further advancing our non-proliferation aims. The U.S. also worked closely with Russia to pass United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874, which strengthens financial and arms embargoes on North Korea.

The United States and Russia are increasing people-to-people connections through education, culture, sports, media, and other professional interactions. The objective of these efforts is to promote the mutual understanding required to build lasting ties between our two peoples. In the field of cultural and public diplomacy, the "American Seasons" program in Russia has brought a wide spectrum of cultural offerings to the Russian public. In 2012, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra completed its first tour to Russia in more than two decades. Also in 2012, U.S. audiences applauded the return of the Bolshoi Ballet to the Kennedy Center and enjoyed the Mariinsky Ballet’s performances of "Cinderella". The "Russian Seasons" cultural program in America included the bicentennial celebration of the founding of the Russian settlement at Fort Ross, California. Bilateral agreements have also been concluded on cooperation in intercountry adoptions as well as liberalization of practices governing entry visas. The bilateral Agreement Regarding Cooperation in Adoption of Children which was signed in 2011 by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov provides better safeguards for adoptive children taking into account the interests and obligations of the adoptive parents. In September 2012, a historic U.S.-Russia visa agreement entered into effect, making Russian and American travelers for business or tourism eligible to receive visas valid for multiple entries during a period of 36 months.

The United States and Russia do not see eye to eye on all issues, but our relationship accommodates frank discussion of disagreements in a spirit of mutual respect with the aim of managing our differences. Where we have differences – on Georgia, Syria, human rights, etc., – we will address them openly and honestly, and will stand by our principles. Pursuing cooperation where it is in our mutual interest enables a more substantial, less polemical dialogue on the hard issues. Our full bilateral agenda for 2013 features deepening economic ties with Russia, the newest member of the WTO; making progress where we can on missile defense; and expanding the work of the Bilateral Presidential Commission.

Bilateral Presidential Commission

In April 2009, Presidents Obama and Medvedev agreed to the formation of the Bilateral Presidential Commission (BPC). The Bilateral Presidential Commission is the premier forum for cooperation between the United States and Russia, and provides a framework for dialogue and the identification of new opportunities based on our shared interests.

The Bilateral Presidential Commission’s 21 working groups continue to produce concrete, substantive results that impact not only our governments but also regular people living in both our countries. Its ongoing expansion – including recently-added working groups on innovation, rule of law and military technical cooperation – and new initiatives demonstrate that our vast bureaucracies are learning the habits and recognizing the benefits of continuing cooperation in between presidential and other high-level meetings.

The BPC continues to function as the vehicle that provides regular attention to our biggest mutual policy objectives via a transparent and structured mechanism. It brings together over 40 U.S. and Russian agencies, as well as numerous NGOs and businesses.

The BPC’s principal objectives include the strengthening of strategic stability, international security, economic well-being, and the development of ties between Russians and Americans. Its core principles include a focus on common interests, a two-way partnership and exchange, a frank dialogue respectful of differences, and the completion of tangible results.

The BPC aims to institutionalize the government-to-government and people-to-people aspects of the bilateral relationship. Increased participation by the non-government sphere – involving private enterprise, NGOs, and other elements of civil society in both countries – is and will remain an important goal of the Commission.


Bilateral Economic Relations

The United States is working vigorously to expand bilateral trade and investment cooperation to benefit both Russia and the United States. Over the past three years, the positive atmosphere resulting from the "reset" of bilateral relations has led to an unprecedented advance in economic cooperation between our countries. From 2009 to 2011, U.S. exports to Russia rose 57 percent and total U.S.-Russia trade increased over 80 percent. U.S. companies reported numerous major business deals in Russia in 2012, including the ExxonMobil-Rosneft deal in May for exploration in the Arctic shelf, Boeing’s $15 billion in aircraft sales in Russia over the past five years, and Ex-Im Bank’s June MOU signing with Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, to support up to $1 billion in exports to Russia.

In December 2011, culminating 18 years of hard work and dedication, Russia was invited to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), a major accomplishment that will bring the world’s largest economy outside the WTO into the organization and bind it to a set of rules governing trade, as well as a dispute-resolution mechanism to enforce those rules. To ensure that U.S. companies and workers can take full advantage of Russia’s WTO membership, Congress enacted legislation to extend permanent normal trade relations to Russia.

Our governments are also engaged in a wide range of joint efforts under the Bilateral Presidential Commission in the areas of trade, investment, multilateral economic cooperation, commercial engagement, and innovation that will benefit the people of both countries

Russian Membership in International Organizations

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia took steps to become a full partner in the world's principal political groupings. In December 1991, Russia assumed the permanent UN Security Council seat formerly held by the Soviet Union. Over the years, Russia has increased its international profile and played a growing role in regional issues. Russia and the United States both belong to a number of other international organizations and groupings, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Middle East Quartet, P5+1 on Iran, Six-Party Talks on North Korea, G-8, and G-20.

In 1994 Russia joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Partnership for Peace initiative. In 1997 the NATO-Russia Founding Act established formal relations between the NATO and Russia, and in 2002 the NATO-Russia Council was created.

GEN. DEMPSEY DISCUSSES STRATEGIC REBALANCE

 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Dempsey Discusses North Korea, U.S. Strategic Rebalance
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2012 – The decision by North Korea to conduct another missile launch is unfortunate and counterproductive to stability in the region, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey took a moment during his travel on his annual USO holiday tour for a one-on-one interview with American Forces Press Service to discuss North Korea's recent actions and the U.S. strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific.

"My thoughts are that the North Koreans continue to be a force of instability in a region while we're working diligently to increase stability," Dempsey said.

"So their decision to do that [missile launch] was very unwise, very unfortunate and I think the international community increasingly sees them for what they are -- which is a force of instability during a time when they ought to be looking for opportunities to contribute to regional stability," he said.

The chairman also discussed the progress made in the U.S. strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region.

"Last year, we talked about our strategic interests, globally, and how they would change over time," Dempsey said. "But that's an important point -- over time. This wasn't a light switch."

"And so, as we thought about that rebalancing of our interests, kind of horizontally, this year we're looking at the impact of that vertically," he said.

The chairman explained the three-part, vertical aspect of the rebalancing, "which is to say how much of our force structure is forward, how much is rotational and how much is retained in the homeland to provide surge capability for security issues that we may not anticipate."

Asked of the "gains" seen in this strategic pivot, Dempsey described what he perceives as a gain, although he said he doesn't necessarily view the rebalancing in terms of "losses and gains."

"When you use the term 'gains,' I would say the single biggest gain is we've got this, I think, pretty coherent vision of how our security will be shaped between now and [the year] 2020," he said. "[This is] the first step and that's a significant step."

Over the course of the next three or four years, "we've got to put into place a system, processes, resources [and the] intellectual energy to deliver," Dempsey said.

U.S. DEPARMENT OF DEFENSE ON FORCE STRUCTURE CHANGES

Photo Credit:  U.S. Navy

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Army, DOD Must Adjust to Budget, Force Structure Changes

By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2012 - The Army will continue to customize its mission objectives based on budget and force structure changes, a senior defense official said here yesterday during the 2012 Association of the U.S. Army's annual conference.

Todd Harvey, director of force development for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, said a defense strategy drafted in January to meet severe spending cuts over the next decade reflected DOD's analysis of the preceding decade.

"We saw a transformation of a number of operations and activities that we had been engaged in over the past 10 years, [leading] us to believe we could begin shifting our focus to broader vistas," he said.

In addition to drawing down operations in Iraq, DOD steadily fostered the Afghan security lead transition as the fracturing of al-Qaida's central control and leadership of terrorist operations persisted, Harvey said.

Although the potential to examine future challenges emerged, Harvey said, the partial list of what was to come was "daunting."

"The variety, complexity and types of challenges we expected to face were remaining at least constant, and in some cases, even increasing," he said.

Harvey cited upheavals in North Africa and the Middle East and the "volatile" standoff with Iran, in which economic sanctions created an increasingly unpredictable situation, as examples. He also explained that a "shrouded leadership transition" in North Korea created its own dynamic of potential unpredictability, while al-Qaida local franchises mushroomed throughout the world.

Harvey also noted China's increasing devotion to economic and military resources as the nation continued determining how it will interact among its closest neighbors and with the United States.

This changing geopolitical landscape and the rise of asymmetric capabilities such as weapons of mass destruction and cyber issues are not entirely new, but their concurrence has potential to create particularly volatile situations for the United States, he said. Meanwhile, he added, Middle Eastern and North African upheavals continue to provide opportunities for local radicals to establish a foothold.

"As government-controlled stockpiles of sensitive technologies and capabilities began to decline, those systems become available to radicals and other disruptive forces," Harvey said.
With such potentially pendulous swings and a high degree of unpredictability, the Army and the Defense Department must adjust their strategies to best prime for future missions, Harvey added.

But what to cut isn't always cut and dried, officials discovered in determining how to absorb the spending cuts, Harvey said. "There really wasn't anything that we had been doing that we felt secure enough to risk at adequate levels ... to throw something overboard," he explained. Even in the realm of humanitarian assistance, he added, a senior leader might struggle with the decision to cut such a mission, opting instead to preserve the option to react to earthquakes, floods and other disasters.

Harvey noted that Pentagon officials have discovered no "free lunch" in functional missions or regional engagement.

"The force needs to be agile, versatile and ready to perform a range of missions," he said.

These demands pose unique challenges for each of the services, Harvey added, particularly the Army, in light of force structure constraints.

"The challenges are as broad as they've ever been," he said, adding that the Army will continue to seek the right balance among investments in force structure, readiness and modernization.

"We're trying to stretch a shrinking force across as least as much mission as we've had to date," he said.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA COMMENTS ON CHINA MEETINGS

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta talks with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping before a meeting in Beijing, Sept. 19, 2012. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo   

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Panetta Calls Beijing Meetings 'Substantive, Productive'

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

BEIJING, Sept. 20, 2012 - Visiting China at what he called a "very important moment" for the U.S.-China relationship, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said yesterday his meetings with key Chinese leaders here have been both substantive and productive.

In a discussion with Chinese reporters and media representatives traveling with him, Panetta reviewed his meetings over two days with Chinese leaders including Vice President Xi Jinping, State Councilor Dai Bingguo, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xu Caihou and Defense Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie.

Key discussion points throughout the meetings, the secretary said, included territorial disputes, ballistic missile defense and North Korea, and cyber attack and intrusions. The overarching topic, he added, was the U.S.–China relationship in the context of the U.S. strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region.

Panetta drew a parallel in describing his advice to Chinese leaders over a territorial dispute simmering between China and Japan – which, he noted, he also tendered to Japanese senior government officials when he visited there earlier this week – and Chinese advice to him over North Korea. Each side urged the other to seek peaceful, diplomatic solutions to their differences, he noted.

The secretary said he has some understanding of the deep feelings and long-standing differences between China and Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea. But, he added, "it's really important that we not be trapped by the past and that we move forward."

Panetta said his message on the topic is consistent to any country claiming disputed territory in the East China Sea or South China Sea: while the United States doesn't take sides in territorial disputes, "we strongly urge the parties to exercise restraint and to work together to find a peaceful resolution to these issues."

The secretary added that he also strongly urges the Asia-Pacific nations to form a multilateral forum to resolve regional conflicts according to agreed-upon principles.

Panetta said his meetings here gave him the impression that the Chinese are looking for a good format in which to try to resolve these issues for the future. "They, too, have a concern that these issues can't just be resolved on the fly -- that there's got to be a process to try to deal with them," he added.

Both Japanese and Chinese leaders signaled this week that they "recognize that it's important not to let this kind of dispute get out of hand," Panetta said.

China's leaders similarly urged that the United States exercise restraint in its approach to North Korea, Panetta acknowledged. China, along with Russia, is one of North Korea's principal allies.

U.S.-North Korea differences came to the fore this week when, during his stay in Japan, the secretary announced the United States and Japan are discussing expansion of Japan-based ballistic missile defense radar systems. Panetta emphasized the X-band radar, which detects ballistic missiles early in their flight and provides precise tracking information for targeting systems, is intended solely for defense against North Korea.

The secretary told reporters that North Korea threatens the United States, its forward-deployed forces and its allied and partner nations as it continues to test nuclear weapons and delivery systems and to enrich uranium in defiance of international law.

During his meetings with China's leaders, Panetta said, he urged Chinese officials to try to persuade North Korea to engage with the United States to work on resolving these issues through diplomacy. In turn, he added, the Chinese leaders strongly recommended that the United States try to resolve its issues with North Korea peacefully.

Both sides noted that the recent change in North Korean leadership has produced some signs of softening in Pyongyang's stance, he noted. "We agreed that there are changes that are taking place and that we have to keep track of those changes," the secretary said.

Panetta said he also raised concerns about threats in the cyber domain, which he called the "potential battlefield for the future."

Cyber technology "has the potential to cripple a country, paralyze a country ... [and is] being used in order to exploit information -- important economic information -- from one country to the next," he said.

Panetta said the United States "has concerns about what China has been doing, in terms of exploiting information," and that during his meetings here he stressed the importance of the United States and China having a dialogue regarding cyber.

"I think we do have to make the effort to try to sit down with China and with other countries to discuss how we can approach cyber," the secretary said. He added that cyber is a growing threat in China as well, and that "there was concurrence" during meetings that the topic is worthy of strategic discussion.

"There was a sense that there has to be an effort to look at the larger picture here and whether or not we can develop international rules and standards. ... I thought that was a very good step to ... at least beginning the discussion about dealing with this issue," Panetta said.

The secretary has maintained throughout his comments to reporters this week that the chief focus of his visit to China was to strengthen military relations between the two countries and to seek Chinese response to the U.S. strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region.

"What I hope this visit has made clear is that engagement with China is a critical part of [the rebalance]," he said. "And I believe we're making real progress towards building a military-to-military relationship with China that is, in fact, healthy, stable, reliable, and continuous."

China and the United States will not always agree, Panetta acknowledged. But he said the key to the relationship, as to any relationship, is open communications and the ability to express views candidly. "That, almost more than anything else, is what can lead to improved relations between the United States and China," he said. The "candid and frank discussions" he has had here bode well for the future, he added.

Concerning the U.S. rebalance in the Asia-Pacific region, Panetta said, Chinese leaders acknowledged that they don't view it as a threat. "They viewed it as important to the future prosperity and security of the Pacific region," he told reporters.

Their key concerns, he added, are that the United States develops and strengthens its presence in conjunction with developing a strong U.S.-China relationship, and that both nations work together to develop the capabilities of other countries and develop security for the region.

REMARKS BY CLINTON, PANETTA AND KOREAN DEFENSE MINISTER KIM KWN-JIN

Photo:  Refueling Over Korea.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force. 
FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan and Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-Jin After Their Meeting




Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea Kim Sung-Hwan, Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Korea Kim Kwan-Jin
Thomas Jefferson Room
Washington, DC
June 14, 2012
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, let me welcome all of you, particularly our Korean friends, to the Thomas Jefferson Room here in the State Department. Today, Secretary Panetta and I hosted the second session of the U.S.-Republic of Korea Foreign and Defense Ministerial Consultation, what we call our 2+2 meeting. And it is a great pleasure to welcome Foreign Minister Kim and Defense Minister Kim to Washington as we continue to find ways to strengthen the global alliance and cooperation between our countries.

Today we discussed how our partnership has advanced in the three years since our two presidents set forth their joint vision for the alliance between the Republic of Korea and the United States. We are combating piracy together in the Indian Ocean, investing in sustainable development in Africa, promoting democracy and the rule of law and human rights around the world. It would be difficult to list all the ways we are working together.

We touched on how we are deepening our economic cooperation. Just a few months ago, the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement officially entered into force, and it is already creating jobs and opportunities on both sides of the Pacific.

It is fitting that today is the Global Economic Statecraft Day at the State Department, because around the world in all of our embassies we are highlighting economic cooperation. And our relationship with the Republic of Korea is a textbook example of how our economic statecraft agenda can boost growth and create jobs.

As Korea has developed into an economic powerhouse, it has also steadily assumed greater responsibilities as a global leader. Today, it is an anchor of stability in the Asia Pacific and a go-to partner for the United States.

On the security side of our dialogue, we reaffirmed our commitment to the strategic alliance between our countries. Secretary Panetta will speak to our military cooperation, but I want to emphasize that the United States stands shoulder to shoulder with the Republic of Korea, and we will meet all of our security commitments. As part of this, we discussed further enhancements of our missile defense and ways to improve the interoperability of our systems.

Today we also agreed to expand our security cooperation to cover the increasing number of threats from cyberspace. I am pleased to announce that the United States and Korea will launch a bilateral dialogue on cyber issues. Working together, we can improve the security of our government, military, and commercial infrastructure, and better protect against cyber attacks.

With regard to North Korea, our message remains unchanged. North Korea must comply with its international obligations under UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874. It must abandon its nuclear weapons and all existing nuclear programs, including programs for uranium enrichment. And it must finally put the welfare of its own people first and respect the rights of its own citizens. Only under these circumstances will North Korea be able to end its isolation from the international community and alleviate the suffering of its people.

So again let me thank the ministers for our excellent discussions. And let me thank the Korean people for the friendship between our countries that continues to grow.
And now let me turn it over to Foreign Minister Kim.

FOREIGN MINISTER KIM: (Via interpreter) Let me first thank Secretary Clinton and Secretary Panetta for inviting Minister Kim and I to the ROK-U.S. 2+2 ministerial meeting. This meeting was first held for the first time in 2000 in Seoul. That was 60 years since the Korean War. And I am pleased that we held today the second 2+2 ministerial meeting this time in Washington. We took note that a number of alliance issues are proceeding as planned, and we had our agreement in that this will contribute to a greater combined defense system.

And we also agreed that should North Korea provoke again, then that we will show a very decisive response to such provocation. But we also shared our view that the road to dialogue and cooperation is open should North Korea stop its provocation and show a genuine change in its attitude by taking concrete measures.

Also, in order to enhance deterrence against North Korea’s potential provocation using nuclear and conventional forces, we decided to develop more effective and concrete (inaudible) policies. We also agreed to promote bilateral cooperation regarding North Korea, just as Secretary Clinton just mentioned, against cyber security threats, and will in this regard launch a whole-of-government consultative body.

We are concerned the human rights situation, the quality of life of the North Korean people, have reached a serious level and urge the North Korean Government to respect the human rights of its people and to improve their living condition.

The Republic of Korea welcomes the U.S. policy that places emphasis on the Asia Pacific. We agree that the increased U.S. role within the Asia Pacific region will greatly contribute to peace and stability in this region. We welcome the efforts of the Government of Myanmar to advance democracy and improve human rights and continue supporting such efforts.

Today’s meeting was very productive and meaningful in that it allowed us to review the current status of the alliance. And we also agreed to discuss a way forward for our strategic cooperation. We’ll continue to hold this 2+2 ministerial meeting in the future.

SECRETARY PANETTA: Secretary Clinton, Ministers, I was very pleased to be able to participate in this very important 2+2 meeting. I want to commend Secretary Clinton for her leadership in guiding us through this discussion, and also thank both ministers for their participation.

I’ve been very fortunate over the past year, since becoming Secretary of Defense, to have developed a very strong working relationship with my Korean counterparts. I’ve been – I made a visit to Korea last fall, and we have had a series of consultations such as this 2+2. I just returned, as many of you know, from a two-week trip to the Asia Pacific region, where I met with Minister Kim at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. And at the time, I made clear that the United States has made an enduring commitment to the security and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region, including the Korean Peninsula.

I also made clear that our military will rebalance towards the Asia Pacific region as part of our new defense strategy. As part of that strategy, even though the U.S. military will be smaller in the future, we will maintain a strong force presence in Korea which reflects the importance that we attach to that relationship and to the security mission that we are both involved with.

The United States and the Republic of Korea face many common security challenges in the Asia Pacific region and around the world, and today, we affirmed our commitment to forging a common strategic approach to addressing those challenges. I’m very pleased that we are progressing on our schedule to achieve the goals that we outlined in our Strategic Alliance 2015 base plan. We remain on track to transition operational control by December 2015 in accordance with the base plan timeline.

As the Strategic Alliance 2015 initiative proceeds, we will continue to consult closely with the Republic of Korea in order to ensure that the steps that we are taking are mutually beneficial and strengthen our alliance. During our meeting, we also discussed ways that we can further strengthen our alliance, including greater cooperation in the area of cyber security. To that end, we are making our bilateral military exercises more realistic through the introduction of cyber and network elements.

Another way to strengthen and modernize our alliance is by expanding our ongoing trilateral collaboration with Japan. On my trip to Asia, I was pleased to participate in a trilateral discussion that included the Republic of Korea and Japan, because this kind of security cooperation helps strengthen regional security and provides the additional deterrent with respect to North Korea. I’d like to thank the ministers again for their commitment to this alliance, and I look forward to hosting Minister Kim in Washington for the 44th Security Consultative Meeting in October. This alliance has stood the test of time, and today, we affirmed that it will remain an essential force for security and for prosperity in the 21st century.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Defense Minister.

DEFENSE MINISTER KIM: (Via interpreter) Today’s 2+2 ministerial meeting was held at a strategically critical moment amid continuing provocation threats from North Korea and volatile security environment in North Korea, a time which calls for a proactive alliance response.

Through today’s meeting, the two countries confirmed once again that the ROK-U.S. alliance is more solid than ever, and made it very clear that the alliance will strongly and consistently respond to any North Korean provocation, in particular regarding North Korean nuclear and missile threat. The ROK and the U.S. agreed to strengthen policy coordination to reaffirm the strong U.S. commitment to provide extended deterrents and to develop extended deterrent policies in an effective and substantial way. We also agreed to strengthen alliance capability against North Korea’s increasing asymmetric threats such as cyber threats like the DDoS attack and GPS jammings.

Furthermore, the two countries confirmed that the 2015 transition of operational control and the building of a new combined defense system are progressing as planned. We also confirmed that they were – ROK military will acquire the critical – military capabilities needed to lead the combined defense, and the U.S. military will provide bridging and engineering capabilities.

The two countries also confirmed that USFK bases relocation projects such as YRP and LPP are well underway and agreed to work to ensure that these projects are completed in time. We assess that combined exercises in the West Sea and Northwest Islands deter North Korean provocation and greatly contribute to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula. We agreed to continue these exercises under close bilateral coordination.

Next year marks the 60th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. alliance which was born in 1953 with the signing of the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty. In the past six decades, the two countries worked to ensure a perfect security of the peninsula and have developed the alliance into the most successful alliance in history. In the future, the two countries will expand and deepen the scope and level of defense cooperation from the Korean Peninsula, and to the regional and global security issues, will continue evolving the alliance into the best alliance in the world for the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, and of the world. Thank you.

MS. NULAND: Scott starts.

QUESTION: Can we do it the reverse? I’m sorry. Scott and I always do this, get it a little confused. But in any case, thank you, Madam Secretary. I’d like to start out with Egypt, please. What is your reaction to dissolving parliament? Is this a step backwards?

And then also on Syria: For the second day in the media and the news, we’re talking about the weapons and the helicopters. By making this such a high-profile issue – and by pinning your strategy of shaming the Russians, are you running the risk of allowing Moscow to define what happens or doesn’t happen in Syria? In other words, I guess, where is the American strategy?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first, with regard to Egypt, we are obviously monitoring the situation. We are engaged with Cairo about the implications of today’s court decision. So I won’t comment on the specifics until we know more.

But that said, throughout this process, the United States has stood in support of the aspirations of the Egyptian people for a peaceful, credible, and permanent democratic transition. Now ultimately, it is up to the Egyptian people to determine their own future. And we expect that this weekend’s presidential election will be held in an atmosphere that is conducive to it being peaceful, fair, and free. And in keeping with the commitments that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces made to the Egyptian people, we expect to see a full transfer of power to a democratically elected, civilian government.

There can be no going back on the democratic transition called for by the Egyptian people. The decisions on specific issues, of course, belong to the Egyptian people and their elected leaders. And they’ve made it clear that they want a president, a parliament, and a constitutional order that will reflect their will and advance their aspirations for political and economic reform. And that is exactly what they deserve to have.

Let me also note that we are concerned about recent decrees issued by the SCAF. Even if they are temporary, they appear to expand the power of the military to detain civilians and to roll back civil liberties.

Now regarding Syria, I spoke extensively about Syria yesterday. Our consultations with the United Nations, our allies and partners, and the Syrian opposition continue on the best way forward. Today, my deputy, Bill Burns, had a constructive meeting in Kabul with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. We don’t see eye to eye on all of the issues, but our discussions continue. And President Obama will see President Putin during the G-20 in Mexico.

We’re also intensifying our work with Special Envoy Kofi Annan on a viable post-Assad transition strategy. And I look forward to talking to him in the days ahead about setting parameters for the conference that he and I have discussed and that he is discussing with many international partners. Our work with the Syrian opposition also continues. Ambassador Ford is in Istanbul today for a conference with the opposition that Turkey is hosting.

So we’re working on multiple fronts. I think our strategy is very clear. We want to see an end to the violence, and we want to see the full implementation of Kofi Annan’s plans, including the political transition so that the people of Syria have the same opportunity that the people of the Republic of Korea or the United States have to choose their own leaders and to build their own future. And the work is urgent, because as you know, the Syrian Government continues to attack its own people, and the bloodshed has not ceased. And we have to do everything we can to end the violence and create a framework for a transition.

MS. NULAND: Next question: Kang Eui-Young from Yonhap News, please.

QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Thank you for the opportunity to give you question. I’m – name is Kang from the Yonhap News Agency. My question is for Minister – Defense Minister Kim. It is written in this statement that you have decided to develop a comprehensive alliance approach towards the missile defense. I want to know what this means. If you are referring to the missile defense, are you intending to build a Korea air missile defense or are you saying that you will be integrated into a U.S.-led missile defense? Could you elaborate on what missile defense system you are envisioning? You mention comprehensive alliance defense system. What – how does this build into the U.S.-led assistance?

DEFENSE MINISTER KIM: (Via interpreter) The position of the ROK military regarding the missile defense is this given the terrain of the Korean Peninsula. The most effective approach is a low-tier defense. And how will this be linked to the U.S. missile defense system? This is of the analysis – the studies that are being conducted right now. That’s what I mean by saying an effective combined air defense system.

QUESTION: Secretary Panetta, is the United States expanding intelligence gathering across Africa using small, unarmed, turbo-prop aircraft disguised as private planes, as reported by The Washington Post?

SECRETARY PANETTA: Well, I’m not going to discuss classified operations in that region, other than to say that we make an effort to work with all of the nations in that region to confront common threats and common challenges. And we have closely consulted and closely worked with our partners to develop approaches that make sure that the nations of that very important region do not confront the kind of serious threats that could jeopardize their peace and prosperity.

MODERATOR: Today’s last question will be from Ju Young Jim of SBS.

QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Reporter from the SBS, Ju. This is a question for Defense Minister Kim and Secretary Panetta. Right now, the Korean media is dealing – covering very extensively about the range extension of the Korean ballistic missiles and that the ROK side is insisting on 800 kilometer whereas the U.S. is insisting on 500 kilometer, where although the countries have agreed on the payload. Senator Carl Levin said that he is positive when it comes to the range extension. Has this issue been discussed at the 2+2, and will the two countries be able to show a concrete outcome by the end of the year?
One additional question is – this one is for Secretary Clinton. Kim Jong-un, the new leader, he has taken over his father, deceased father, and is now already six month as the new leader. How do you assess his leadership so far?

DEFENSE MINISTER KIM: (Via interpreter) Let me first address this range extension issue. This is still being discussed on the working level. This issue was not dealt at today’s 2+2 ministerial meeting.

SECRETARY PANETTA: In consultation and negotiations with the Republic of Korea with regards to this area, I think we’re making good progress. And our hope is that we can arrive at an agreeable solution soon.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Regarding the new leader in North Korea, I believe leaders are judged by what they do to help their people have better lives, whether they create stability and security, prosperity, opportunity. And this new young leader has a choice to make, and we are hoping that he will make a choice that benefits all of his people.

And we also believe strongly that North Korea will achieve nothing by threats or provocations, which will only continue to isolate the country and provide no real opportunity for engagement and work toward a better future. And so we hope that the new leadership in Pyongyang will live up to its agreements, will not engage in threats and provocations, will put the North Korean people first. Rather than spending money on implements of war, feed your people, provide education and healthcare, and lift your people out of poverty and isolation.

This young man, should he make a choice that would help bring North Korea into the 21st century, could go down in history as a transformative leader. Or he can continue the model of the past and eventually North Korea will change, because at some point people cannot live under such oppressive conditions – starving to death, being put into gulags, and having their basic human rights denied. So we’re hoping that he will chart a different course for his people.

MS. NULAND: Thank you very much.