Terror in Transit
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FACES NFL MILITARY Musician Ruston Kelly Ravens end Patriots’ US air power grows finally arrives after series 13-game win streak alongside Marine of false starts, addiction with 37-20 victory Corps Down Under Page 17 Back page Page 5 Skipper: USS McCain performs ‘exceptionally well’ in sea trials » Page 4 stripes.com Volume 78, No. 144 ©SS 2019 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas Terror in transit Foreign fighters passing through Turkey could help ISIS regenerate, US report warns Page 3 Turkish army vehicles wait at the Turkey-Syria border near Kiziltepe, Turkey, on Friday. Turkey remains a transit point for foreign fighters looking to join Islamic State in Iraq and Syria . TURKISH DEFENSE MINISTRY/AP Robotic mules to lighten load for Army’s infantrymen BY JOHN VANDIVER down with heavy body armor, ammunition and rucksacks Stars and Stripes loaded with water and other supplies. The Marines experimented with a robot known as “Big STUTTGART, Germany — Loads are about to get light- Dog,” which was supposed to help with carrying extra am- er for the Army’s infantrymen as plans are accelerated to munition. But Big Dog was abandoned in 2015 because it deliver robotic pack mules to ground troops. was too noisy to bring to a fight. The Army has awarded a $162.4 million contract to Gen- The Army said a key to the success of its robotic eral Dynamics Land Systems to produce 624 Small Mul- pack mule was soldier involvement in the development tipurpose Equipment Transport systems. The wheeled, battery-operated machines are expected to begin arriving process. at units in 2021, the Army said in a statement. “Direct Soldier feedback drove the requirements for The unmanned robotic transport system can cover more the S-MET, and certainly helped determine what systems than 60 miles in 72 hours and can carry 1,000 pounds of would work best for IBCTs (Infantry Brigade Combat gear, the Army said. That would reduce each soldier’s Teams) to fill a capability gap,” said Don Sando, director U.S. Army weight burden by more than 100 pounds when operating for the Maneuver Capabilities Development and Integra- in support of a rifle squad, it said. tion Directorate, based at Fort Benning, Ga. The Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport system, or The military has been looking to robotics in recent years [email protected] S-MET, can cover more than 60 miles in 72 hours and to help lighten the load for infantrymen, who are weighed Twitter: @john_vandiver can carry 1,000 pounds of gear. PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Tuesday, November 5, 2019 MILITARY Trump’s moves fuel doubts on US’ future in S. Korea BY SIMON DENYER AND MIN JOO KIM ‘ If the United States withdraws its The Washington Post troops abruptly, our nuclear umbrella will SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean lawmaker Won Yoo-chul disappear. What will happen to the safety calls it “Trump risk” — the possi- of the South Korean people? bility that he will wake to a tweet ’ Won Yoo-chul from the U.S. president abruptly South Korean lawmaker announcing the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean SEONGJOON CHO/Bloomberg Peninsula. The concern is fueled by will eventually be forced to ac- can and should contribute more of President Donald Trump shakes hands with South Korea n President Trump’s demand that South Korea quire its own nuclear deterrent. its fair share” of the costs. Moon Jae-in in 2017. Trump’s push for more money for the cost of raise fivefold its payment for the “President Trump is the most South Korea points out it pro- stationing U.S. forces in South Korea has raised concerns. cost of stationing U.S. forces in unpredictable head of state in vides land for the bases rent-free, the country, and by what many the world,” Baek said. “I get spends billions of dollars a year cost-sharing negotiations fail. Gen. Vincent Brooks, who re- here see as the president’s trans- concerned looking at the words on U.S. military hardware and Then you might have this perfect tired as commander of U.S. Forc- actional approach to the alliance. Trump used when he announced provided 92 % of the $10.7 billion storm where Trump says, ‘OK, I es in Korea in January, notes a South Korea isn’t alone. Trump’s the withdrawal of U.S. troops in cost of moving the main U.S. base have a deal with North Korea and “rising progressive nationalism” you don’t want to pay. So I’ll pull sudden decision to withdraw from Syria.” out of Seoul to Camp Humphreys in South Korea that doesn’t be- border zones in Syria, undercut- the troops out, or a portion of the Over the past two years, Trump in Pyeongtaek, about 40 miles lieve it should be “so connected, ting the Kurds, has undermined troops out,’ ” Cha said. has returned to a central obses- south of Seoul. so dependent upon the United trust in the United States and its Congress built into the Nation- sion: that South Korea, “a very Polls show most South Kore- States for its security, both physi- commitment to other allies, from al Defense Authorization Act a wealthy nation,” is not paying ans support the alliance and U.S. Israel to Taiwan and the Baltic condition that troop numbers in cally and economically.” states. enough toward the cost of station- troop presence, but few believe South Korea can be cut only below That’s embodied in the gov- “If the United States with- ing around 28,500 U.S. troops on their country should pay more for 22,000 provided the secretary ernment of President Moon Jae- draws its troops abruptly, our the peninsula. the privilege. A group of ruling- of defense certifies that the step in, who angered Washington in nuclear umbrella will disappear,” In Singapore, after his 2018 party lawmakers said last month does not “significantly undermine August by withdrawing from a Won said. “What will happen to summit with North Korean leader they would oppose parliamentary the security of United States allies military intelligence-sharing pact the safety of the South Korean Kim Jong Un, he said he’d like to ratification of any deal that was in the region” and that those allies with Japan. people?” bring the U.S. forces all home “at “unfair” and unacceptable to the have been consulted. The net result is defense cost- some point,” while calling for an Korean people. Won and fellow opposition law- Concerns about Trump’s com- sharing negotiations are more end to the “very expensive” and Victor Cha, who served as Pres- maker Baek Seung-joo called in mitment to defend South Korea “politically charged” than in the “provocative” joint-military ex- ident George W. Bush’s top advis- September for a new South Ko- grew this year after he dismissed past, with more direct involve- rean nuclear strategy, proposing ercises between the United States er on North Korea and now works North Korea’s ballistic missile ment from both the White House that nuclear weapons be stationed and South Korea. at the Center for Strategic and tests as insignificant, despite ex- and South Korea’s presidential in the country under the joint Although his senior staff have International Studies, warns of pert assessment that the weap- command of U.S. and South Ko- tried to convince Trump that a scenario where Trump rushes ons were specifically designed Blue House, said Brooks, now a rean forces, just as U.S. nuclear the troop presence also serves into a bad nuclear deal with North to evade South Korean missile senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy weapons are shared with NATO broader U.S. strategic interests, Korean leader Kim, claims a “big defenses. School’s Belfer Center. states. the president has — in the words victory” and decides he doesn’t But the tensions in the alliance Brooks said the alliance is Others have gone further, re- of the State Department — “been need so many troops in the South. don’t only stem from the White strong enough to endure. But newing the idea that South Korea clear that the Republic of Korea “And then the U.S.-South Korea House. doubts are emerging. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ............ 16 Business .......................... 15 Classified ................... 19, 23 Comics/Crossword ............ 22 Faces ............................... 17 Opinion ....................... 20-21 Shifting Gears................... 18 Sports .........................24-32 Weather ........................... 15 Tuesday, November 5, 2019 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 WAR ON TERRORISM US: Fighters travel through Turkey to join ISIS BY JOHN VANDIVER Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was both countries designate a terror- Stars and Stripes killed last week in a raid by U.S. ist group. forces, the group still poses a Tensions have also been STUTTGART, Germany — threat. strained by Turkey blaming the Turkey remains a transit point A Pentagon inspector general movement of self-exiled cleric for foreign fighters looking to join report in August estimated be- Fethullah Gulen — who resides Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, tween 14,000 and 18,000 ISIS in the U.S. — for mastermind- which could help the terrorist members were still in Iraq and ing the attempted coup against group to reorganize and regain Syria. In addition, there are Turkish President Recep Tayyip influence, a State Department re- roughly 10,000 suspected ISIS Erdogan in July 2016. Ankara port on global terrorism says. fighters being held in prison has demanded Washington hand The annual U.S. country re- camps, many overseen by Kurd- Gulen over, but the U.S.