Chapter 312 Different Positions

Chapter 312 Different Positions

Chapter 312 Different Positions
"As much as I want to comfort you, Ann, I have to admit that what you said is real, and this is also the most difficult problem," Leonard also took a sip of beer, then put down the glass and said in a serious tone.

Although his tone was serious and cautious when he said this, An Rushong felt that this guy was gloating and was laughing at his misfortune.

"So, I need your help, Leonard," An Rushong pushed the wine glass in front of him away, looked at the other person, and said.

"Of course," Leonard nodded. "Ann, whether as a friend or as a work partner, I should help you, especially at this moment."

The American agreed readily and spoke sincerely, but An Rushong was very clear that what the other party said was only the first half of the sentence, and there must be a "but" following it.

"And, An," Leonard said immediately, as expected. However, An Rushong miscalculated that the other party did not use a conjunction with a transitional meaning, but a progressive conjunction.

"These parasites hidden in the army are also the targets I am committed to fighting," Leonard pointed at the folder and said in a more serious tone, "I will pull these guys out one by one and kick them out of the army."

An Rushong frowned. He didn't believe that the American in front of him was some so-called patriot or the embodiment of justice. Those pure patriots and righteous people would never be able to climb to high positions in an organization like the NSA. Therefore, what the other party said must be untrue.

"Why, you don't believe me, An?" Leonard sensitively saw through An Rushong's expression and obviously saw through his thoughts, and asked with displeasure.

"Look, Leonard, the situation is like this," An Rusong said expressionlessly, "I have become entangled with a group of lawless American soldiers. I understand the reality of their drug trafficking, but I can't do anything about them. Of course, they also know this, so they are using that damn judicial immunity to threaten me. Before calling you, I prepared two options for myself: First, if you can help solve this trouble, then everything will be fine. No matter what method is used, we will send these damn drug dealers to hell and restore everything to its original state. Second, if you can't help at all, then I will choose to expose the fact that these guys are trafficking drugs, and then leave South Korea immediately and find a safe place to avoid the limelight."

He paused, pursed his lips, and finally added: "But if that happens, I'm afraid everything can't be restored to its original state."

Leonard naturally understood what he meant. The American didn't seem to mind An Rushong's threat. He chuckled and was about to say something when An Rushong continued, "So, Mr. Leonard, I'm very upset now. I don't want to listen to your statement of justice, and I don't want to understand the NSA's strategic layout. I hope we can discuss the most critical issues openly, simply and directly, OK?"

When he said this, his tone was almost irritable, but after listening to it, Leonard was not angry, but the smile on his face became even more intense. He stared at An Rusong for a while, suddenly picked up the glass, smiled and said: "An, don't be irritable, be patient, come, let's have a drink first, believe me, the beer here will definitely make you feel happy physically and mentally."

An Rushong met his gaze, looked at him for a few seconds, finally shook his head and laughed, then helplessly picked up the glass and took a sip of beer.

"You're right, Ann. We are not only partners, but also friends. So we should be frank with each other," Leonard said in a rather comfortable tone after taking a sip of beer. "Then I will talk frankly about the best way to solve this problem."

He put the beer glass on the table, pointed at the folder in front of An Rusong again, and said, "Just now you mentioned that when facing this trouble, you made two preparations. Among them, your second choice was to expose everything you knew, and then leave Korea immediately and choose a place to hide."

An Rushong said nothing, waiting for the other party to continue speaking.

"Frankly speaking, the second option you mentioned is exactly what I want you to do," Leonard propped his right elbow on the table, leaned forward, and approached An Rusong, saying, "Yes, publish your information through the NGN pop-up news, so that the whole of Korea... No, I mean, let the whole world know about this scandal, this evil deed."

After a slight pause, he continued, "An, you are right. As soldiers, these guys who threatened you do enjoy judicial immunity. However, this so-called judicial immunity only means that they are not subject to judicial prosecution in South Korea, but it does not mean that they can escape sanctions from American law."

Leonard brought the cigar to his lips and took a deep puff. He sniffed the smoke in front of his face and said, "Let's take a step back. Once this scandal is exposed, at least these guys won't be able to stay in Korea anymore. They have to leave here and go back to the United States, right? At that time, your troubles will naturally disappear."

"You're kidding, Leonard," An Rusong said, his lips twitching.

"No, I'm serious about everything I said," Leonard said in a serious tone. "But in my opinion, you are joking," An Rusong stared at him and said, "You are either joking with me or with my IQ."

Leonard spread his hands, but the cigar butt in his hand hit the outer wall of the beer glass, and a few sparks exploded, which scared him.

"An, let me put it this way. You have to understand at least one thing. The United States military is not a monolithic entity. Whether it's the Pentagon or Yongsan District, there are different interest groups and factions," Leonard said after clearing off the cigarette ash. "In a few months, Sharp will leave South Korea and be transferred to China. His replacement has been determined. If nothing unexpected happens, General James Thurman will take office in June."

An Rushong certainly knew about news like this. He not only got the news from Jenny, but he also heard similar rumors from Bai Jinjun.

"You mean, Thurman and Sharp are in different positions?" An Rushong asked after taking a puff of cigarette.

"Not only Sharp, but also his two predecessors, Bale and Porat, they all have different positions from Thurman," Leonard nodded.

Leon Porat and Pavel Bell were the previous two commanders of US forces in South Korea.

“I don’t want to comment too much on Sharp’s positions and views on military issues, but it is obvious that it was during their tenure in South Korea that the situation on the peninsula began to trend away from the control of the United States,” Leonard said. “I admit that in the process of global anti-terrorism, the Middle East and Afghanistan are indeed the focus areas that the United States must pay more attention to, but maintaining the United States’ strategic position in Northeast Asia is also of vital importance.”

What he said was very general and far from detailed, but An Rushong understood the meaning behind his words.

According to Leonard, there are obviously several different factions and groups within the U.S. military system. Among them, several previous commanders of U.S. forces in South Korea, including Sharp, should have adhered to the U.S. military strategic points and should have focused on the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Don't underestimate this position and view. You should know that behind this position and view is the support of the Israeli Jewish group, because the US actions in the Middle East and Afghanistan are completely in line with Israel's interests.

It is undeniable that the United States is the only superpower in the world today, but it is impossible to say that its financial resources are unlimited. Therefore, the more the United States invests in the Middle East and Afghanistan, the fewer resources it can invest in other regions, which naturally includes Northeast Asia.

If we think back carefully, there has indeed been a voice in the United States over the past few years: demanding a reduction in military aid to South Korea and handing over the responsibility of defending South Korea to the South Korean military as much as possible. The current commander of the US Forces Korea, Sharp, is a supporter of this view. The South Korean troops in the 2nd Division of the US Forces Korea were established when Bell was the commander of the US Forces Korea, and its purpose is self-evident.

According to Leonard, Thurman, the new commander of the US Forces in South Korea, who is about to take office, has a different stance from Sharp and others. Needless to say, this guy should be the type of American soldier who values ​​the strategic value of the Korean Peninsula. His replacement of Sharp to serve in South Korea obviously reflects to a certain extent the change in the Pentagon's position on foreign issues.

Think about it, since 01, the United States has been implementing the "global anti-terrorism" strategy, and has devoted almost all its energy to dealing with Iraq and Afghanistan. Its military strategy in Northeast Asia is almost in a state of contraction. It is also in these few years that China, which was originally targeted, has taken a deep breath and has grown rapidly.

Today, whether in Iraq or Afghanistan, the United States is stuck in a quagmire. Not only can it not gain any benefits, but it has also caused a lot of messy troubles. The most important thing is that George W. Bush, who led the US "global fight against terrorism", is about to end his second term.

Under such circumstances, it becomes inevitable for the United States to adjust its foreign strategy.

Recalling the memories of his previous life, An Rushong remembered very clearly that in his previous life, with the resignation of George W. Bush, the newly elected Obama immediately proposed a strategy of returning to the Asia-Pacific region. This reality seemed to be confirmed by Leonard's words.

(End of this chapter)