REP LIEU RELEASES LETTER FROM FORMER DEPUTY COMMANDER OF US FORCES KOREA ON HIS ASSESSMENT OF WAR WITH NORTH KOREA

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) released the following letter from Lt. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas, the former Deputy Commander of US Forces Korea, outlining the operational challenges of a war with North Korea.

In the letter, Lt. Gen. Jouas writes:

• "This threat was the most dangerous I'd faced since the end of the Cold War, and planning for it the most challenging problem I'd encountered in my 35-year career."
• "The 28,500 US Armed Forces personnel in South Korea are vastly outnumbered by North Korean forces, as well as ROK forces that will conduct the overwhelming majority of the fighting."
• "Unlike every conflict since the last Korean War, we will not be able to build up our forces prior to the start of hostilities."
• "During that time an enormous casualty and evacuee crisis will develop and include over a hundred thousand non-combatant Americans"

THE FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER CAN BE FOUND HERE