Trump raises hopes of troops coming home

WASHINGTON: It has been more than a decade since North Korea turned over the remains of American troops missing from the Korean War. President Donald Trump’s suggestion on Friday that Pyongyang has begun delivering remains to the US raised the hopes of families who have sought closure for more than 60 years.

Still, they’ve been on this rollercoaster before, so they are hedging their bets. US officials across the government quietly acknowledged that so far no remains have been turned over to the US from the North since Trump’s historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

As of Friday, the Defence POW/ MIA Accounting Agency had not received any new remains, said spokesperson Chuck Pritchard.

The last time North Korea turned over remains was in 2007, when Bill Richardson, a former UN ambassador and New Mexico governor, secured the return of six sets from North Korea. There are 7 697 US troops still unaccounted for from the Korean War. – Ap/african News Agency (ANA)