Drills would be conduc­ted someti­me after the Paraly­mpics, which end on March 18WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Thursday that the decision to delay joint military exercises with South Korea until after the Winter Olympics was made for practical reasons, rather than as a political gesture. “For us, it’s a practical matter,” Mattis told reporters, noting that the Olympics are South Korea’s biggest event in terms of international tourism. He added that the drills would be conducted sometime after the Paralympics, which end on March 18. Mattis said the talks were the result of international pressure, pointing to successive United Nations Security Council votes against the North. “My job as the secretary of defense is to make certain that we have forces ready to defend this country,” Mattis said.

Source: The Express Tribune January 05, 2018 12:00 UTC