Plane said to carry war remains lands at US base
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
UPDATE: PYEONGTAEK, South Korea — PYEONGTAEK, South Korea (AP) — A U.S. military plane has returned from North Korea and landed at Osan Air Base in South Korea after reportedly picking up the remains of what are believed to be U.S. servicemen killed during the Korean War.
An Associated Press journalist at the base outside the capital Seoul saw the plane land Friday, and the White House earlier confirmed that North Korea has turned over the potential remains.
Details were still sketchy but reports said that Pyongyang would return about 55 sets of remains from the 1950-53 Korean War, a step meant to fulfill a commitment made by leader Kim Jong Un during his summit with President Donald Trump in June.
About 7,700 U.S. soldiers are listed as missing from the Korean War, and 5,300 of the remains are believed to still be in North Korea. The war killed millions, including 36,000 American soldiers.
EARLIER: PYEONGTAEK, South Korea (AP) — A U.S. military plane left from Osan Air Base for North Korea on Friday to pick up the remains of what are believed to be U.S. servicemen killed during the Korean War, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.
The U.S. military and South Korean government couldn't immediately confirm the report, which was based on an unnamed South Korean government source. But there were signs Friday morning of preparations to receive the remains at the base south of Seoul.
If a transfer takes place, Pyongyang will likely return about 55 sets of remains from the 1950-53 Korean War, a step meant to fulfill a commitment made by leader Kim Jong Un during his summit with President Donald Trump in June.
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Initially Kim promised Trump 200 sets of remains which were 'ready' to be returned.
Previous returns cost approximately $1million per service member returned as 'reimbursements" to the government of NK.
NK failed to show up for a meeting, or return remains to the DMZ at the agreed to times.
No mention of the costs so far, or if 'ransom' was negotiated for these service members.
Until the remains are irrefutably proven to be Americans being returned, applause any praise of NK should be reserved. I would not trust them as far as I could spit with a gale blowing in my face.
I'm glad that the remains of these 55 are coming home
The silence from American media is kind of stunning. Only a small TV bit on Fox and an article by CBS so far.
There's actually more from the UK as it is possible that some of the remains are their lads.
Note the boxed remains are wrapped in United Nations flags, as is appropriate.
The silence from US media on this is sickening. 55 US Soldiers are FINALLY coming home after over 60 years and not a word.
Its true that there are bodies being sent to America that are supposed to be those of Americans who lost their lives there. But, until DNA testing is completed there is nothing to say that they are truly Americans in those coffins.
Indeed. There were many other countries that had their servicemen involved in the Korean war, so those missing from the other countries could also be among the remains shipped to the US. It will be important to clearly identify our men from the others.
Actually, I can't help but feel skeptical about the remains being sent, as why would NK bother to maintain the remains of Americans killed in the war, or other countries as well. I personally just can't see that happening from a country like NK.
However, I hope that my feelings of doubt will be proven wrong. I will gladly accept it.
And that's reason enough for this action to be ignored? English, French, American or any other country is irrelevelant. It's the fact that NK is allowing this to happen is something that should be spotlighted. But then again, when we look at the US President that was instrumental in making this happen, it doesn't surprise me that many are quiet. It's sickening.
The sole reason for NK repatriating any Korean conflict remains to any enemy combatant has been CA$H for NK.
Every former transaction has involved "reimbursements for expenses" of an average of 1 million US $$ per set of remains.
I believe the current DOD budget is 26 Million which is to include the identification work done in Hawaii for all returns globally from all theaters of war.
Who knows whose remains those are. Who believes NK kept those remains named and protected all these years ?
Most were buried hastily where they fell in battle if they were buried at all.
There are reportedly thousands of US servicemen, dozens of Aussies and 13,000 SK troops in battle field graves throughout the DMZ
General Mattis stated that all remains should be tested to insure that they are US Soldiers. I agree and hope all of them are. It's been a long time for them to reach their final resting place and some relief for the families.
It is believed that up to 2,000 Americans, 2 dozen Australians and 13,000 South Koreans were buried in temporary graves throughout the DMZ.
South Korean MIAs exceed 120,000.
Mattis is laying the ground work for positive identification of the remains of the American servicemen being shipped back from NK:
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Secretary of Defense James Mattis told reporters Friday that North Korea's decision to turn over 55 caskets believed to contain the remains of U.S. and allied soldiers who died during a brutal three-year war between communist-backed North Korea and United Nations-backed South Korea in the early 1950s "sets a positive environment and tone for other things in terms of international diplomacy." Following his remarks, however, he revealed that a review would have to be made before officially accepting the offer from the longtime U.S. foe.
“The reason those remains aren’t on their way back to the United States right now, is, that they are first going to be reviewed initially there in Korea. and we’ll look for any anomalies where they’re not what we think they might be," Mattis told the Military Times in an interview.
"And then the forensics will begin when we land them in Hawaii, where the laboratory is. But we have no indications that there is anything amiss. But we don’t know, we can’t confirm it one way or another. That is why we go through all of the forensics," he added.
Source:
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Glad to know that the NK's are going to be held to the grindstone to prevent false representation of our servicemen's remains.
If these are remains of US Soldiers? Welcome home, Hero's, may you rest.
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Save the politics here....
If these remains turn out to be those of US Soldiers... Give them the respect they deserve, and lay them to rest. They have hung in limbo long enough.
Welcome home soldiers. You are all heroes.
Better make sure they aren't just bodies from a gulag.
I would not put it past their man child dictator to pull a bait and switch.
Now would I. After all these years, why would they keep the bodies of those they consider enemies? Does not make sense at all, especially knowing the mentality of the NK leaders at that time, and since.
They see them as a source of cash, as past Administrations and South Korea have reimbursed NK as much as $1millionUS for "the expenses of locating, preserving and transporting the remains".
Why did two people collapse me?
Paula, you can hit the circle with the dash (left side next to the thumbs up) in it to collapse the comments as they take up a lot of room and slow the article down. If you want to see them again just click on the circle with the bar in it and they re appear.
My comment was a mere one sentence. I didn't think it would take up all that much room.
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