The parliamentary fact-finding team sent to Iraq to judge conditions there returned home to Korea yesterday, and claim that with the exception of Baghdad, the security situation in Iraq is OK. Moreover, they recommend sending a mixed force, including combat troops.
Quoting from the group’s press conference yesterday at Incheon International Airport, the Chosun Ilbo reports, “With the exception of Baghdad and some other areas, the security situation wasn’t really that bad, and impressions about Korea were very good.” Rep. Kang Chang-hee, who headed the team, advised that “rather than using [the previous dispatch of] medical and engineering units as a guide, it seems like a good idea to raise that up a level by sending a unified force (i.e. one which includes combat and non-combat troops).
Here are some more quotes (the ones the Chosun selected, anyway) from the fact-finding team:
Rep. Kang Chang-hee (GNP):
Iraqi citizens displayed tremendous good will toward Korea. They truly wish for our help. They absolutely oppose the sending of troops from neighboring countries such as Turkey or other Arab states. We really need to make up our minds, and I think we have to help Iraqis and strengthen the US-ROK alliance by sending troops.
Rep. Han Chung-su (DP):
It seemed as if there were no Iraqi citizens who agreed with having foreign troops come to Iraq. But if someone has to go in the end, it appears that Iraqis would not think as badly of countries like Korea as they would of Turkey, a neighboring country. Our medical and engineering corps have done well. The dispatch itself is not really the problem, but the costs incurred after the dispatch may be a problem.
Rep. Jeong Jin-seok (ULD):
With danger comes opportunity. When we see that 70% of our crude oil comes from the Middle East, we must actively take part in the effort there. The only questions remaining are the formation and size of the dispatch. The situation in Iraq is not like that of Vietnam, and in general, we must see it as stabilizing step-by-step.
Rep. Song Young-gil (Uri):
We tried to see the need for a troop dispatch from the Iraqi point of view. The situation differed region by region. In Nasiriyah in the south, the atmosphere was quite welcoming because of hatred for Saddam Hussein. There is almost no chance of Hussein making a comeback. From the individual points of view of Korea and Iraq, we have to help them with what they need. Sending combat troops, however, is another issue.
Rep. Jeon Kyeong-man (Professor at the Korean Defense Research Institute):
In my discussion with the CPA, the US military says it has failed in the bigging part of the occupation because it is taking the lead in operations, and they are currently training 70,000 Iraqi police and 40,000 Iraqi soldiers. I heard that in the future the Americans plan to include them in their operational plans. It is desirable for us, too, to send a unified force (including combat troops) that can perform in such a complex situation.
