U.S. and South Korea begin drills
The first of four days of a powerful show of joint U.S. and South Korean sea and air power ended without incident Sunday, despite North Korea’s pledge to start a “sacred war” over the maneuvers.
Dubbed “Invincible Spirit,” the joint military exercises, featuring about 20 vessels including the Nimitz-class USS George Washington aircraft carrier, left port just after dawn, shadowed by hundreds of U.S. and South Korean fighter jets.
The drills provided a potent reminder for Pyongyang of the consequences of escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula. The exercises have been in the works since the March 26 sinking of a South Korean naval ship that killed 46 crewmen. A probe led by South Korea concluded that the ship was struck by a North Korean torpedo; North Korea has denied involvement.
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