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Vol. 81/No. 17 May 1, 2017
(front page)
US armada heads to Korea, Washington
threatens to act
BY TERRY EVANS
As a U.S. Navy armada steamed to the Korean Peninsula, Washington
continues to threaten to take unilateral military action against the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea if they conduct a sixth nuclear
weapons test.
The armada is led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl
Vinson, carrying over 60 warplanes and some 7,500 troops, along with
destroyers, cruisers and submarines. Upon entering the East China Sea
the strike force will be joined by several Japanese destroyers.
Washington has 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea, where they have
been engaged in a seven-week-long series of military exercises,
including special forces units practicing the “decapitation” of the
North Korean leadership.
Speaking at the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone — the border
created when the U.S.-led Korean War ended in a deadlock in 1953, and
now divides North and South Korea — Vice President Michael Pence
declared April 17, “All options are on the table.” At the same time, the
administration of Donald Trump, with bipartisan support, has stepped up
efforts to convince Beijing to keep out of Washington’s way.
Seeking to lower tensions in the area, China has put some pressure on
North Korea, reducing imports of its coal. But both Chinese exports and
imports with North Korea continue to grow, rising 37 percent in the
first quarter of 2017. Above all, Beijing seeks to prevent the overthrow
of the government in North Korea, bringing U.S. troops to its border on
the Yalu River.
North Korea shows no signs of backing off from defending its national
sovereignty, attempting to test-fire a medium range missile that same day.
Beijing expressed its opposition to heightened military tensions in the
region blaming Washington, Seoul and Pyongyang.
Reinforcing the threat of Washington’s armada is the U.S. rulers’ use of
deadly missiles elsewhere in the world. U.S. war boats fired 59 missiles
at a Syrian government air base April 6. And a U.S. warplane dropped the
Pentagon’s 21,000 pound “mother of all bombs” — its largest bomb short
of nuclear weapons — in Afghanistan April 13. Pointing to Pyongyang, the
Wall Street Journal editorialized, “Let’s hope the right people noticed
this blast.”
Announcing the sending of the armada April 11, Trump said North Korea
was a problem that “will be taken care of.” He added, “We have
submarines. Very powerful. Far more powerful than the aircraft carrier.”
The Pentagon deploys an estimated 1,000 nuclear warheads on submarines
patrolling the world’s waterways.
At the same time that the U.S. rulers are threatening to attack the
North, Washington is installing a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense
system in South Korea, in the face of ongoing protests there (see photo
box). This “defense system” helps to fortify the U.S. military foothold
on the peninsula and intensifies its pressure on the DPRK and China.
For years Democratic and Republican administrations alike have demonized
North Korea, imposed sanctions and threatened military action against
the 25 million people there.
Socialist Workers Party protests
The Socialist Workers Party spoke out against Washington’s threats. An
April 15 statement demanding U.S. get out of the region by Osborne Hart,
Socialist Workers Party candidate for mayor in New York, is being widely
circulated across the country and beyond. (See adjacent statement.)
“We pledge our unconditional solidarity with the struggle to reunify
Korea, which Washington partitioned in 1945, waged a murderous war
against from 1950 to 1953, and with which the US government has refused
to sign a peace treaty to this day,” Steve Clark wrote on behalf of the
SWP National Committee to Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers’ Party of
Korea, on the occasion of the country’s April 15 holiday.
“As Socialist Workers Party members campaign on workers’ doorsteps; as
we join protests demanding “Amnesty Now! Stop the Deportations!” in
defense of foreign born workers; as we walk the picket lines with
striking silver miners in Idaho and other workers — we explain that
assaults on the rights and living and job conditions of working people
at home are inflicted by the same wealthy families responsible for
Washington’s war moves against our sisters and brothers the world over.
“On this DPRK national holiday, the Socialist Workers Party and Young
Socialists join with others around the world in demanding: End all
economic and banking sanctions against the DPRK by Washington and by
every government in Asia and the world!” Clark said. “US troops, ships,
planes, and THAAD missiles and radar systems out of Korea’s soil, skies,
and waters! For a Korean Peninsula and Pacific Ocean free of nuclear
weapons. Korea is one!”
Related articles:
Socialist Workers Party: ‘US hands off Korea!’
All US troops, warships, fighter bombers out now!
US THAAD anti-missile battery out of Korea!
SWP in 1950: ‘Stop US Korea War! US troops out now!’
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