'INEPT' LOBBYING ENCOURAGES FOES OF KOREA PULLOUT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000100100058-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Sequence Number: 58
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2007/06/28: CIA-RDP99-00498R000100100058-0 STAT
r:^TICr2 iiP?EiVZE0 LOS ANGELES TIMES
^N PA, -Li 3 July 1977
Eh~FOes'
of e'a-.-. P Pullout
BY NORMAN KEMPSTER
Timss St ItWrttar ' " -
WASHINGTON-Congressional
opponents of President Carter's plan -
.to withdraw-U.S. ground troops from
Korea think,that.what-they call-inept.
.lobbying ' by the-.White House may .
.=give .them- a weapon.to-defeat one of
Ws iii a tow" before a Senate vote
a$l. ? month rejecting legislation that,
r#itld have endorsed the withdrawal.
Per refusing to back Carter, the
Sciate adopted a measure urging him
tor' onsult with Congress before. tak-
in any action. The legislation was
y advisory but it gave an indica-
bother congressional source said
;the Defense Intelligence Agency
-giving lawmakers. a classified
sti
th
Stfattaq,-criairrn 1:11t:
armed' services' subcommittee that
provided a Capitol Hirt forum for Naj.
Gen. John K. Singlaub's'dharges that
withdrawal of U.S. troops would lead
to a new Korean war, said additional
hearings are planned to alert the pub-
lic to what he considers the dangers '
of the Carter plan. '
`'':" It is a mistdke to. withdraw all of-
...
our ground forces from Korea at this -1
point," Stratton said. "It certainly
z would increase the chann of war." -
Under the withdrawal plan, the .
U.S. ground force of 33 CGO- men
,.would be sent home over a four- or
five-year period. At present, accord- -
ing to the Pentagon, South Korea has
625,000 meh under arms, compared to
512,000 for. North Korea, but the
North has a substantial advantage in
tanks; aircraft and other equipment.
Stratton said he plans to call Gen:
George S. - Brown, chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Ber--
nard W: Rogers, Army chief of staff,
to testify at a hearing after Congress
.returns July11 from its Independence
Day recess. , -
.; . He said he wants to ask the gener-
als about the military implications of-
_the withdrawal. =
Brown supported Carter's policy in.
an appearance last month before a'
House international relations sub-
committee but Stratton said that
Brown was not cross-examined. -.-
"He made some sort of bland com-
ment, but nobody followed through
on it," Stratton said. . '
-A Pentagon official, who is eonsid~
eyed an expert on Korea, said he is
not particularly concerned about the
lasting impact of any hearings Strat-
. -ton might conduct. -
"I don't think the hearings will lead
to anything that would prevent: get-
ting the troops out," the official said.
?"i really don't sense that it is that big
0,
2n issue: I think we are in really good '
shape on this one.
f Some of the Administration's slip
porters in Congress consider that at-:.
,titude to be much too confident..:-:_
But 'the Pentagon official said he
'-was' more worried about winning
congressional support for the in-
creased arms aid the Administration-'
has promised Seoul to compensate for
the removal of U.S. troops. - '-
."I am afraid we will be whipsawed ti
'by Congress," the official said. "They
STAT
ngtil of North Korea. The DIA is
Pentagon's chief intelligence or-
my belatedly leas the-Administra-
ti4a begun. dispatching other intel?r
the Administration's most controver-- vlh assessments supporting its posi-
sialforeign policy. moires:: tr li. s
Although' ihere' have, been-, ? be Administration concedes that
minor skirmishes:: so = far, :Carter's rth Korea now has a larger inven-.
Korean policy could touch offa bruis- t St.-of weapons and a more sophisti-
Jng corigressior aLbaitie.with hawkish.,. c ec arms industry than South Ko-
Democrats'and.Republicans.who. are r ,But ? Administration analysts
-looking for a-wayto:block.the Pres- 'p ,nt out that, Carter's plan for a
ident's plan because:'.they'-contend phased. withdrawal of U.S. ground
:withdrawal:,would-endanger :-the -24= try s over a four- to five-year peri-,
edr-old Korean truce-.;.-,; -? octcalls for increased arms. aid .to
Sngiil to compensate for the departure
o5tlleAmerican forces.
Lawmakers: on. both. sides of the Vfie Administration also contends)
? issue believe.- the Administration has that because South Korea's economy;
not yet- made.. an- effective, presenta- ? 'is much stronger than that of the
tion' of its view. The Hawks. say they
north, Seoul could match or sur
pass
are delighted . by Carter's.: apparent
Pyongyang militarily if it. chooses to
overconfidence-The Administration's do so.
?'
friends are, alarmed by it_
The source who described the DIA.
"My advice ~ to . the-Administration
briefing said they appear to be factual
was that they ought to consider this
but, by stressing the present military,
issue as serious as the Panama Canal, balance, they give the impr ession
controversy and get-their briefers up
that the withdrawal, of U.S. ground,
-here," an. aide to.a senator who sup- troops might encourage North Korea
s
ports the.withdrawal said recently.
The most-_:outspoken-critic"of -the
plan. :*.Rep-. Samuel S.-Stratton -(D-
IQ.Y.),-said that Carter and his aides
have done very-little so far to explain
the reasons for:the withdrawal policy
to lawmakers..."The defense secretary-;
(Harold- Brown) - has, talked -:to- me?
several times about.abill.to give De-,
fense: three: .more-undersecretaries;'
Stratton:, said ' in:, an. interview. "No-
body has-come to us to talk?about.the
..withdrawal plan- and. it,is a lot more
'A- Senate -supporter said thattth+
tore " the source said. "He re aired
Administration- ? "did. 'not-.. have- it
some ?o the damage that a been,
done. 77,,.'-..s.-I.-
, s . . .
1
to attack the south. ? ,
to
"It is all pretty impressive," the'
source said. "They come into a men-
ber's office and 'sweep' it forbidden
microphones, -. Then.they.-talk abouts
classified force levels:
A Pentagon - spokesrnan said the
commenton the report. ?
DIA had no
.
? Countering the potential impact of
the DIA presentations# Stansfield I
Turner director of the ClArecentll
has given congressmen a iefing that
laid more stress on factors iavorin _
Soot ores, a cong essionaT source.
?- : -?.,::: ? ;...-;?.;.
sal
` unner rave a triore t al~aced pig
"
- ronfinU~
Approved For Release 2007/06/28: CIA-RDP99-00498R000100100058-0