South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo (L, front) and his U.S. counterpart, Ashton Carter (R, front), joined by Gen. Lee Sun-jin (L, rear), the South Korean chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his U.S. counterpart, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, review a guard of honor as they take part in a welcome ceremony at the defense ministry in Seoul on Nov. 2, 2015, ahead of this year’s Security Consultative Meeting, an annual defense meeting between the two allies. (Yonhap)
This photo, taken on April 10, 2015, shows a message that U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter wrote in the visitors’ book at the defense ministry in Seoul on the same day prior to his talks with South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo. The message reads, “Thank you to the Minister and all the members of the ROK forces for many decades of steadfast alliance. We have a bright future ahead.” (Yonhap)
U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter (2nd from R) and South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo (2nd from L) visit the Navy’s 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on April 10, 2015, to pay tribute to 46 South Korean sailors killed in the sinking of the country’s warship Cheonan in 2010 by North Korea. (Yonhap)
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter is in Seoul discussing the US defense commitment to the peninsula:
Defence Secretary Ashton Carter promised Friday that the US would deploy state of the art weaponry in Asia, including the latest stealth bombers and cyber warfare units, to counter threats posed by the likes of North Korea.
“Our newest and best things are being deployed to this part of the world,” Carter said in Seoul — the second leg of a visit to the two key US military allies in the region, Japan and South Korea. (…………)
Stressing that military deterrence and readiness were “at a premium” on the divided peninsula, Carter said the US was investing in “advanced capabilities …. tailored to this dynamic security environment.”
Asked to expand, he cited new stealth bombers, F-35 stealth fighters and highly developed cyber warfare systems that could be rotationally deployed in the Asian theatre. [AFP]
You can read the rest at the link, but what wasn’t supposedly discussed was the deployment of a THAAD missile defense system to South Korea which continues to be a touchy subject due to Beijing’s objections to the deployment.
Kerry, Carter expected to visit S. Korea in near future: sources http://t.co/b83cS83tvO
— Yonhap News Agency (@YonhapNews) March 11, 2015
It looks like Ashton Carter will become the next Secretary of Defense if he passes the vetting process:
Ashton Carter, the former second-in-command at the Pentagon, appears to be the top choice to replace outgoing Secretary Chuck Hagel.
Barring any last minute complications, Ash Carter will be President Barack Obama’s choice as the new Secretary of Defense, several U.S. administration officials told CNN
An administration official had said that Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, a former General Counsel at the Pentagon, was also still on the list of possibilities, but on Tuesday morning, sources said Johnson was no longer being considered. The prospect of an additional confirmation hearing for Johnson’s replacement if he were to move to the Pentagon as the Senate switches to Republican control would have been problematic for the White House. [CNN]
Carter is actually a very brilliant man when it comes to defense issues and well respected within the defense community which should allow him to be a fine Secretary of Defense. With that said though even brilliant men like him can make eyebrow raising recommendations. Long time ROK Heads may recall that Carter along with former Defense Secretary William Perry once recommended bombing North Korea back in 2006:
Fears have grown in recent weeks following reports of activity at a site in northeastern North Korea where U.S. officials say a Taepodong-2 missile — believed capable of reaching parts of the United States — is possibly being fueled.
An op-ed piece in Thursday’s Washington Post by William Perry, secretary of defense under former President Bill Clinton, and Ashton Carter, Clinton’s assistant secretary of defense, advocates a pre-emptive strike to destroy the missile.
“The United States should immediately make clear its intention to strike and destroy the North Korean Taepodong missile before it can be launched,” it said.
Cheney, however, told CNN that, while “I appreciate Bill’s advice,” such an action could worsen the situation.
I think the recommendation back then had a lot to do with politics because Perry and Carter likely understood former President Bush would not bomb North Korea. However, it would be interesting during his confirmation hearing if someone in Congress would ask him if he still believes bombing North Korea is a good idea.
You can read more on this topic over at One Free Korea.
