MIA recovery in
Korea is canceled

The Pentagon blames Pyongyang
for an environment unsafe
for U.S. forensic teams

As military forensic specialists were beginning their 10th year of recovering remains of American soldiers missing in action in North Korea, the Pentagon yesterday abruptly canceled four recovery missions remaining for the year.

The Pentagon accused the Koreans of creating an environment that could jeopardize the safety of U.S. personnel performing the work.

South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun is scheduled to meet with President Bush in Washington on June 10 to revive talks on North Korea's nuclear arms program. Pyongyang has announced that it removed fuel rods from a reactor, a possible step toward extracting weapons-grade plutonium. U.S. officials said this month that spy satellites showed possible preparations for North Korea's first nuclear weapons test.

A team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command -- assigned to Hickam Air Force Base -- already has recovered a set of remains from the Korean War.

The remains and the recovery team were to arrive today at Yongsan Military Compound in Seoul, and will arrive at Hickam later this week. More forensic work will take place at the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command to determine the precise number of recovered American soldiers.

Another team that was supposed to begin its recovery Saturday has been recalled. Three other North Korean missions slated for July, August and September also were called off.

Lt. Cmdr. Jason Salata, Pacific Command spokesman, said the team of 27 forensic specialists, split into two sections, completed its work Tuesday.

A Pentagon news release said this week that one of the sections operated near the Chosin Reservoir, where the 1st Marine Division and the Army's 7th Infantry Division fought Chinese forces in November-December 1950. About 1,000 Americans are missing in action from battles of the Chosin campaign.

The second section recovered remains in Unsan province, about 60 miles north of Pyongyang. This area was the site of battles between communist forces and the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry and 25th Infantry divisions in November 1950.

Since 1996, 33 joint operations have been conducted in North Korea, recovering remains believed to represent more than 220 soldiers. Of the 88,000 U.S. service members missing in action from all conflicts, more than 8,100 are from the Korean War.