As has been widely discussed in the Chinese and international press, the THAAD missile defense system, recently deployed in South Korea, has other, arguably more important, capabilities in addition to bolstering defenses of South Korea.
Experts note that the US already has the capability to defend against North Korean ballistic missiles and that the true threat to South Korea is from traditional artillery within range of Seoul, for which THAAD would be useless.
But the advanced radar technology in THAAD might in the future be used to neutralize Chinese nuclear deterrent second strike capabilities. Though former top US intelligence official Angelo Codevilla told Asia Times that by itself THAAD’s actual effectiveness vis-à-vis China is marginal at best. Nonetheless its purpose for deployment is clearly to advance broader US strategic goals, not to provide South Korea with free defense.
President Trump apparently didn’t get the memo before he threatened to make South Korea pay for THAAD.
It seems it hasn’t been for lack of his national security advisor HR McMaster trying to advise Trump, but allies of the career military professional say Trump has become disillusioned with briefings. Bloomberg reports that Trump was livid when McMaster tried to clean up after Trump’s misstep on THAAD. The president reportedly screamed at him over the phone after McMaster called South Korea to backtrack on Trump’s threat regarding payment for THAAD.
When China retaliated against the missile defense system’s deployment by targeting Korean businesses, the Korean public started to sway towards support for keeping THAAD. But, if Trump gets his way, it seems that Beijing’s counterproductive move has been one-upped by Trump’s own step backward.
South Korea should pay for THAAD if it wants it. American taxpayers have got nothing to gain from such a deployment. In fact, it’s against the interests of the American people. Neocon lunatics in the US are the ones pushing for it, as part of their plan to "win" a nuclear war against China and Russia. The military industrial complex stands to gain financially from these kind of offensive provocations.
Russia and China should give Mexico missiles to install on its border against the US building a wall.
lol
The funny thing about the THAAD missile system is that it went into operation at 2 AM and it is manned only by Americans. If South Korean President has the smarts he tells us he has and the balls that maybe he has maybe he hasn’t he would tell the Americans to take THAAD back to the States and he would forge a deal with China and Him and the Chinese President could have a Pow Wow with Mr Fatso!!!