realpolitikasia: 50-60 ROK TAEKWONDO SPECIALISTS

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SITREP 2 AS OF 1800

Date:

1976 August 19, 23:37 (Thursday)

To:

Secretary of State | US Delegation Secretary

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PLANNED U.S. MILITARY MOVES

THE TREE CUTTING OPERATION IS NOW SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE
AT ABOUT 1800 HRS. EDT ON AUGUST 20.  SIMULTANEOUS WITH THE
TREE CUTTING, A NUMBER OF B-52'S WILL ARRIVE OVER SOUTH
KOREA.

FIVE GROUPS OF FOUR F-111'S WILL BE ARRIVING IN THE ROK
AUGUST 20 BETWEEN 0225 AND 0425 EDT.

THE MIDWAY CARRIER TASK GROUP HAS BEEN ORDERED TO SAIL AT
1700 EDT AUGUST 20 TO THE VICINITY OF THE SOUTHERN APPROACHES
TO THE KOREA STRAIT.

CHARGE STERN AND GENERAL STILLWELL WILL SEE PRESIDENT PARK
SHORTLY TO INFORM HIM IN DETAIL OF OUR PLANS FOR THE TREE,
THE B-52'S AND THE F-111'S.

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PAGE 02        STATE  206906 TOSEC 220008

STILLWELL'S PROPOSED PLAN

GENERAL STILLWELL'S PROPOSED PLAN FOR THE TREE SURGERY CALLS
FOR U.S. ENGINEERS, AUGMENTED BY 50-60 ROK TAEKWONDO
SPECIALISTS TO ENTER THE JSA AND FELL THE TREE WITH CHAIN
SAWS OR BY DEMOLITION.  AT THE SAME TIME TWO "ILLEGAL"
NORTH KOREAN ROAD BARRIERS WOULD BE REMOVED BY BULLDOZERS;
THE DURATION OF THE OPERATION WOULD BE ABOUT 45 MINUTES.

BACK-UP FORCES WOULD INCLUDE THE AUTHORIZED 35 MAN ARMED
SECURITY FORCE WITHIN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY AS WELL AS
ONE U.S. INFANTRY COMPANY POSITIONED CLOSE TO THE JSA AND
ARMED WITH CLUBS ONLY; WEAPONS WOULD BE IN NEARBY TRUCKS.
ALSO ONE ROK INFANTRY COMPANY ARMED WITH ORGANIC WEAPONS
WOULD BE POSITIONED NEARBY AND ONE U.S. OR ROK RIFLE COM-
PANY ORBITING IN HELOS IN THE VICINITY.  ADDITIONALLY, A
TANK/INFANTRY BATTALION WOULD BE POSITIONED SOUTH OF THE
IMJIM RIVER.  ARTILLERY WOULD BE PREPARED TO SUPPORT THE
OPERATION IF THE NORTH SHOULD USE WEAPONS.

THE MISSION IS TO ACCOMPLISH THE REMOVAL OF THE TREE AND
GATES WITHOUT SHOOTING, AND SHOULD THE OTHER SIDE START
SHOOTING, THE MISSION BECOMES ONE OF RAPID EXTRACTION OF
FORCES FROM CLOSE CONTACT RELYING PRIMARILY ON ARTILLERY
COVERING FIRE JCS IS STAFFING THIS PROPOSAL FOR HIGH
LEVEL WASHINGON DECISION.
NORTH KOREAN ACTION

SENSITIVE SOURCES CONFIRM THAT SOME NK AIRCRAFT AND NAVAL
UNITS REMAIN ON ALERT STATUS.  MEANWHILE NORTH KOREA IS
APPARENTLY MAKING DIPLOMATIC APPROACHES ON THE AUGUST 18
INCIDENT TO NUMEROUS FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS.

CONTACTS WITH OUR ALLIES

IN ADDITION TO JAPAN, AND CANADA, WHICH WERE INFORMED
EARLIER, WE INSTRUCTED OUR POSTS TO INFORM OUR NATO
ALLIES, AS WELL AS AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, THAILAND AND THE
PHILIPPINES OF THE DEFCON 3 MOVE.  A DOD PUBLIC STATEMENT
WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ISSUED BRIEFLY NOTING THE INCREASED READ-
INESS POSTURE BEING ADOPTED BY US FORCES IN KOREA.
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PAGE 03        STATE  206906 TOSEC 220008


CINCUNC LETTER TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL

WE HAVE INSTRUCTED USUN TO DELIVER TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL
A LETTER FROM CINCUNC WHICH GIVES A FACTUAL ACCOUNT OF THE
PANMUNJOM INCIDENT.

CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONS

AMB. MCCLOSKEY AND THE H STAFF ARE CONSULTING ON THE HILL
INFORMING SELECTED MEMBERS OF DEVELOPMENTS AND EXPLAINING
THAT OUR MOVES DO NOT INVOLVE THE WAR POWERS ACT.  CON-

GRESSIONAL LEADERS IN KANSAS CITY ARE ALSO BEING BRIEFED.

AMBASSADOR SNEIDER RETURNS TO SEOUL

AMBASSADOR SNEIDER HAS CUT SHORT HIS HOME LEAVE AND WILL BE
RETURNING TO KOREA THIS EVENING.

WORLD REACTION

INTERNATIONAL REACTION TO THE AUGUST 18 INCIDENT HAS THUS
FAR BEEN RELATIVELY LIGHT:

-- AT THE NON-ALIGNED SUMMIT CONFERENCE IN COLOMBO THE NEWS
HAS SPREAD SLOWLY DESPITE THE RELEASE OF US AND SOUTH
KOREAN STATEMENTS.  AS OF NOON TODAY WASHINGTON TIME, AFP
REPORTED MOST DELEGATIONS STILL UNAWARE OF THE INCIDENT.

-- AN OFFICIAL CUBAN STATEMENT PUBLISHED AUGUST 19 SAID
"ADVENTUROUS AND WARLIKE MANEUVERS OF AMERICAN IMPERIALISM"
COULD TRIGGER WAR IN KOREA.  THE STATEMENT MADE NO SPECIFIC
MENTION OF THE AUGUST 18 CLASH, HOWEVER.

-- FRANKFURTER ALLEGEMEINE ZEITUNG AND SUEDDEUTSCHE ZEIT-
UNG BOTH STRONGLY DENOUNCED THE NORTH KOREAN "MURDERS".

-- JAPANESE PRESS COVERAGE WAS GENERALLY FACTUAL WITH LITTLE
COMMENTARY.

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PAGE 04        STATE  206906 TOSEC 220008

-- A JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN IN THE ABSENCE OF
VICE MINISTER SATO STATED THAT JAPAN IS WATCHING "WITH
GREAT CONCERN" THE INCIDENT, WHICH "LOOKED MORE SERIOUS"
THAN PREVIOUS DMZ CLASHES.

-- A BRITISH FOREIGN OFFICE STATEMENT CONDEMNED THE "BRU-
TAL MURDERS" AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE "AGGRESSIVE AND INFLEXI-
BLE ATTITUDE" OF NORTH KOREA TOWARD THE REUNIFICATION
PROBLEM.

UN ACTIVITIES

THE UN CORE GROUP THAT IS WORKING ON A UN RESOLUTION
AND EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
DEBATE ON KOREA HAS REACHED A CONSENSUS THAT WE SHOULD
GO AHEAD WITHOUT CHANGING THE AGREED TEXTS AND SUBMIT
THE DOCUMENTS TOMORROW AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED.

GOVERNOR SCRANTON TRANSMITTED BY LETTER LATE AUGUST 19
TO THE UNSC PRESIDENT THE TEXT OF THE SPECIAL UNC REPORT
ON THE DMZ INCIDENT.   ROBINSON


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