Korea to add 3,000 troops in Iraq

[ze_dscherman]

South Korea is set to become the third biggest contributor to coalition forces in Iraq, behind the US and UK, following its decision on Wednesday to dispatch an additional 3,000 troops to the region.

Seoul agreed last month to send more soldiers to join its existing 675 engineers and medical staff in Iraq but yesterday made the first official announcement of how many troops would be involved.

Yoon Young-kwan, South Korea's foreign minister, said the decision showed the country was starting to assume the responsibility that came from being the world's 12th-largest economy. "It is important for us to participate in international efforts to bring peace and stability to the Iraqi people, instead of dismissing the issue as none of our business," he said. Seoul has also pledged $260m to aid reconstruction in Iraq.

Mr Yoon said South Korea's support would make it easier to enlist the international community's help in resolving the North Korea nuclear crisis. Contributing troops to Iraq has been widely viewed in Seoul as a means of pressing the US to seek a peaceful settlement with North Korea.

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[tom_paine]

1. Hmmm. I wonder how much of our tax money was used to bribe them

That is how the Busheviks operate.

And our money is now their money...no doubt about it.

[teryang]

2. Our negotiations with the South are very hard ball

We don't give them anything. We usually force them to pay cash. However our recent apparent concessions to China put pressure on them to cozy up even more. If China leaves the north out to dry, the American position strenghens and the South's flexibility decreases. In other words, they have to appease the monster.

[jayfish]

3. Hmmm.

I wonder if US troops are being rotated into SK to take up the slack. SK can ill afford to give up 3000 troops at this time.

Jay