http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtri...reaking_3.html

U.S. military blames lap dances
for declining military discipline

EAST-ASIA-INTEL.COM
Tuesday, February 3, 2004

SEOUL -

The U.S. military has asked South Korea
to ban lap dancing and other lewd acts
at local nightclubs near its bases,
saying they negatively impact military
discipline.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
Hold it right there, General.

Order your men not to enter those night clubs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
The officials said the military was taking
similar steps at other bases in the United
States and overseas against lap dancing.

The U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division,
which has 15,000 troops near the border
with North Korea,

recently sent letters to the South Korean
Special Tourist Association and local mayors
urging a crack down on lap dancing clubs
near barracks.

Describing
"client-focused exotic dancing"
as the principal cause of
worsening military discipline,

the military letter called for local club
owners to "prohibit any physical contact
between dancers and (U.S.) customers."

South Korean lap dancing clubs are totally
dependent on American customers because
they are not allowed to take local clients.

U.S. officials declined to specify what
they meant by worsening military discipline.

"We are following trends in the United States,"

Lt. Col. Chris Bailey,
the 2nd Infantry Division's
assistant chief of staff,
told the Stars & Stripes newspaper.

The U.S. Forces Korea has consulted
mainland laws banning lap dancing, he said.

The more than 90 American installations
throughout South Korea have long been a
source of friction between residents
living near the U.S. facilities,

who complain of pollution, noise
and traffic from the U.S. bases
and occasional crimes by American troops.

Many crimes committed by U.S. servicemen
involve nightclubs near their barracks.

Amid an increasing number of
American troops accused of crimes,
their legal protection has become
a sensitive issues for the two
governments.

"The USFK will root out any practices
that go contrary to a positive environment
for U.S. soldiers, Korean residents and
people of all nationalities,"

said Chae Yang-To,

a spokesman for the 2nd Infantry Division.

The United States maintains 37,000 troops
in South Korea to help defend it from a
potential conflict with North Korea under
a bilateral defense treaty signed after
the 1950-1953 Korean War.