Seoul in uproar over U.S. request for troops to Iraq

World Tribune ^ | 9-17-03

[Renfield]

SEOUL, South Korea — Washington's request that South Korea dispatch thousands of infantry troops to Iraq has sparked a new round of anti-American protests in Seoul.

The controversy erupted after Seoul officials acknowledged that the United States has requested the deployment of a "light infantry division" consisting of between 2,000 and 10,000 combat soldiers to Iraq.

Hundreds of anti-U.S. activists staged a rally in central Seoul Tuesday to oppose any further role for South Korean troops in Iraq. In May, South Korea dispatched about 675 army engineers and medics to assist the U.S.-led rehabilitation of post-war Iraq.

Sending troops to Iraq is a very politically charged issue here as many have criticized the United States for starting the Iraqi war without U.N. authorization. The South Korean government plans to convene a National Security Council meeting of senior ministers on Thursday to discuss the U.S. request.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed local news reports cited a U.S. warning that it would pull thousands of American troops out of South Korea to send them to Iraq if Seoul refuses its request.

Local newspapers, including Donga-Ilbo, reported that the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division would leave South Korea to reposition in Iraq if Seoul rejects Washington's request to dispatch combat troops to assist the U.S.-led peace-keeping efforts in the post-war Middle East.

South Korea's defense chief denied the reports, but they fueled security jitters as the redeployment of the U.S. front-line troops would weaken its deterrence capabilities against communist North Korea.

About 15,000 troops of the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division are scattered among dozens of camps and bases near the heavily-armed inter-Korean border, serving as a "tripwire" that could automatically lead to Washington's involvement in the event of an invasion by North Korea.

"The press reports on the U.S. troops withdrawal are groundless," Defense Minister Defense Minister Cho Young-kil told journalists.

"I see no possibility of such a U.S. troop relocation plan," a senior foreign ministry official said. "The U.S. troops has stationed here under a mutual defense pact. The 2nd Infantry Division has never relocated for the past five decades," he said.

The United States maintains some 37,000 troops in South Korea to deter attacks from North Korea under a bilateral defense treaty signed after the 1950-53 Korean War. The North says the troops are a "source of another war on the peninsula and obstacle to the Korean unification."

[Renfield]

It's about time we started asking the South Koreans to be true allies.

[Brilliant]

What we need to do is Iraqize the forces. Why we are wasting our efforts on these embarrassing efforts to get our so-called "allies" to contribute is beyond me.

[Rome2000]

Pajama wearing pukes.

South Korea is not worth one American life.

[Batrachian]

"Meanwhile, unconfirmed local news reports cited a U.S. warning that it would pull thousands of American troops out of South Korea to send them to Iraq if Seoul refuses its request."

Let's make the rumors true. We don't need their troops in Iraq, and the way they're behaving, it seems that they don't need our troops in S. Korea. I'm sure the 2nd ID would love to get out of there after 50 years.

BTW, when I was stationed over there I visited one of their dog farms. I found it an interesting cultural experience. All the dogs where the same type, a sort of yellow Shar-Pei.

[JHrules]

I am not going to pretend that I know what "Iraqize" means, but I think we should do exactly what we threated to do. That is, take all of our troops out of S. Korea and tell them to replace them with local troops..if they wish that is. Let N. Korea "Unify" with them, and then we have no reason to worry about the nuke situation over there.

[section9]

It's about time we started asking the South Koreans to be true allies.

Watch. They'll hem and haw and decide, in the end, to send nothing.

Bush needs to turn around and tell them that we'll need them to bump up their own force levels in future. 'Cause the Indianhead Division is going to Iraq...

Now the Koreans could play this smart and send a couple of brigades from the Capitol or the White Horse divisions. Then we would own the Koreans a service. But I don't expect the present Korean government to think that far down along the line.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[Brilliant]

The problem with that is that we need them there to placate the Japanese. I don't think we want the Japanese panicking and resurrecting their military.

[Pubbie]

"Hundreds of anti-U.S. activists staged a rally in central Seoul Tuesday to oppose any further role for South Korean troops in Iraq."

Would the South Korea Bashers on FR PLEASE NOTICE that there ONLY a couple hundred college students protesting rather.

That's VERY small for a country of 48 million people.

[MEG33]

A few hundred students is hardly reason to panic!

[Bobibutu]

"About time they pulled their weight! "

They more than pulled their weight in Nam - White Horse areas were the safest in country.

It's politics - not the Koreans - I think they would love to go to Iraq if nothing more than the $$$$

[Tokhtamish]

The Japanese are resurrecting their military in any case. It is time the South Koreans understood that an American withdrawal places them squarely between China and Japan, all alone by themselves.

[Tailback]

The ROK army is plenty capable (with USAF backing) to repulse any invasion by the PRK. Pull the 2nd ID out of the ROK. Japan needs to rebuild their military anyway, we're going to need friends when China decides to test the free world. (Yes I said "when" not if)

[billorites]

"Now the Koreans could play this smart..."

But they might not.

P.J. O'Rourke characterized the Koreans as being hard drinking, bare-knuckled fist-fighters.

The "Irish of the Orient," I believe was his description.

[Beck_isright]

What's the difference between moving 15,000 of our troops from South Korea and having them send the same number to Iraq? Let's just start pulling our boys out. This is absurd to even ask the South Koreans this. Just move our own boys.

[dagar]

What? We've only protected them with American blood for 53 years or so. We probably shouldn't have troubled them.

Petulent brats.

[q_an_a]

The former police chief of NYC was on NEWS HOUR tonight. He said,"We have done more to create a force, a budget and training in four months than I was able to do in years in NYC. People that say the Iraqi are not taking control don't know what they are talking about." He also said, it is hard to know who to trust, but that they are doing all they can to get it right.

[LaMudBug]

Screw S. Korea. Pull all our troops out. So what if N. Korea takes over SK. Let the gooks fight it out among themselves.

Korean vet