Texas Congressman and Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ron Paul told supporters at the Iowa Speedway in Newton that U.S. troops had been stationed in the Korean peninsula since he was in high school.
Texas Rep. Ron Paul is back on the campaign trail following a five-day break for the Christmas holiday. The non-interventionist congressman’s message is still the same when it comes to American involvement abroad: it is unwise and it costs American taxpayers a lot of money.
Dr. Paul addressed some 100 supporters at the Iowa Speedway in Newton on Wednesday and, once again, questioned the need to keep U.S. troops in Germany and Japan. In addition, Dr. Paul criticized President Barack Obama‘s recent decision to station up to 2,500 Marines on Australian territory.
On the day Kim Jong-il was laid to rest, the Texas representative also questioned the wisdom of maintaining a military presence on the Korean peninsula for the past 60 years or so. Indeed, around 30,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed in South Korea and along its border with North Korea. “How long do we have to stay there?” he asked his audience. “We were there since I was in high school,” he added.
Dr. Paul’s comments come at a time of particular concern over the stability of the region, with North Korean officials pledging that the country would continue to follow its “military first” ideology.
There are concerns that the 28-year-old new leader, Kim Jong-eun, is unprepared to follow into his father’s footsteps, and that his uncle, Chang Sung-taek, and Ri Yong-ho, the chief of staff of the army, will both play a prominent role to ensure Kim Jong-il’s legacy is continued under his son’s rule. Some even fear that the regime could launch a strike against South Korea to show that the 70 year old’s death will not result in a significant change in policy towards its southern neighbor.
Although Dr. Paul did not specifically call for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from South Korea, his comments are likely to be attacked by his Republican rivals in the same way as they criticized his stance on Iran. The Texas representative believes the Islamic republic should be allowed to develop a nuclear program provided it is used for peaceful purposes.
A recent phone poll conducted by the Washington Post and ABC News among 858 individuals showed that 46 percent of likely Iowa Republican caucus goers felt that Dr. Paul’s opposition to U.S. military interventions overseas represented a major reason to support another GOP candidate.
The Iowa primary vote will take place on Tuesday, January 3.
