political : ARE US TROOPS IN SOUTH KOREA THERE TO OPPRESS THE KOREANS? [+] serious ballot by herzog created Tue Nov 21, 06 SEOUL (AFP) - A group of US peace activists led by Cindy Sheehan staged a protest outside the headquarters of American troops, urging a halt to the relocation of US military bases in South Korea. The 18 protesters led by Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq more than two years ago, rallied outside Yongsan Garrison after their request to see the commander in chief of US forces in Korea, General Burwell Bell, was turned down. They tried to make their way through dozens of South Korean riot police carrying shields who were blocking access to the gate. Shouting slogans such as "Stop US military base expansion!" and "Stop repression in Pyeongtaek!" the protesters held up their US passports and asked police to get out of their way. The US forces want to consolidate 35 US bases scattered across South Korea into two hub bases by 2008 -- one in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of Seoul, and the other in Daegu City, 300 kilometers southeast of the capital. Yongsan is among the bases which will close. The construction of a US base at Pyeongtaek has met strong protests from activists and villagers who have to be evacuated from their homes or farmland. "Believe me, we will be passing along these concerns (of villagers) to the Pentagon, to the Congress, to the people of America and we will be doing every thing we can as Americans to correct this situation in South Korea," Sheehan told journalists. Medea Benjamin, founder of Code Pink, a US women's peace organization, said: "There is no way that I feel my family will be more secure or that Korean families will feel more secure by expanding the Camp Humphreys base (in Pyeongtaek) and taking land from people who have farmed there for generations." The group travelled to Pyeongtaek on Monday and joined some 100 people from Daechuri village for their 820th consecutive candlelight vigil against the expansion of the base. South Korea hosts some 29,500 US troops under a mutual defense treaty signed following the 1950-1953 Korean War. Sheehan gained prominence when she camped outside President George W. Bush's Texas ranch last year to demand a meeting with the US leader. - - - - - -- - - - Do you think the troops in South Korea are their to suppress the natives for americas benefit? Yes, US troops are enslaving the locals No, cindys gone a little nuts No, but the US has killed over 655,000 Iraqis since they invaded Ballot #105702 : SEE RESULTS Comment: show your vote with comment?

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