The Marmot’s Hole

Korea’s Zaytun Unit, deployed in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil, got an unexpected visitor today:

During a visit to the Zaytun Unit on Sunday afternoon, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld enters the dining hall, guided by unit commander Maj. Gen. Hwang Eui-don/Joongang Ilbo

From the Korea Times:

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld made a surprise, morale-boosting visit to South Korean troops stationed in the northern Iraqi town of Irbil on Sunday.

Offering words of encouragement to some of the newest foreign troops assisting the U.S.-led rehabilitation, Rumsfeld said, “Your mission won??t be easy and smooth but it is crucial in the fight against global extremism.”

It was the U.S. defense chief??s first visit to non-U.S. foreign forces stationed in Iraq. The rare move came at an important juncture as Seoul is set to seek parliamentary approval to extend the contingent’s stay in Iraq to the end of next year.

Rumsfeld also made a phone call to his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Kwang-ung, in Seoul to express thanks for South Korea’s contribution to the U.S.-led efforts to rebuild war-torn Iraq.

Yoon in turn said he was grateful for Rumsfeld’s visit to the South Korean unit, named “Zaytun” (’olive’ in Arabic). The defense chiefs reaffirmed the importance of the two countries?? alliance, South Korean officials said.

South Korean troops greeted Rumsfeld with thunderous applause as he arrived at a huge tent to speak and dine with about 500 soldiers.

“You took time out of your hectic schedule to visit us. We sincerely welcome you,” said Maj. Gen. Hwang Eui-don, the commanding officer of the contingent.

What was significant (perhaps) was that of the 29 coalition partners with troops in Iraq, the Koreans were the first Rummy visited on this trip.

For what it’s worth, the Chosun Ilbo appreciated the gesture, and contributed this cartoon suggesting that Korea’s own Minister of Defense should consider getting his ass over there as well. The latter is probably unfair — granted, the defense minister hasn’t indicated he would go anytime soon, but then again, neither did Rummy. I gather given the security situation in Iraq, it’s probably not a good idea to announce to everyone and his brother that a high-ranking official is planning to visit. Besides, the Zaytun hasn’t even finished base construction yet.

OhMyNews columnist Go Tae-jin, on the other hand, offered another opinion that goes to show that with OhMy, the U.S. just can’t win. Not that he doesn’t make good points, of course. Go explained that Rummy’s visit to the unit — his first to any of the 29 coalition states — has now clearly associated the Zaytun Unit with the “invader,” heightening the risk factor for Koreans in Iraq. Probably true, although even Go admits that prior to the visit, Iraqi “resistance forces” considered Korean troops to be U.S. hired guns anyway. He goes on to say that while it would have been best not to send troops at all, now that they’re there, it was best for security to put space between Korea and the United States (probably absurd, given the circumstances). Rummy’s visit, however, and the welcome he got (as well as the broad media coverage it received in Korea) has essentially closed that space, and made Koreans even bigger targets than they were before. Go then said:

When one considers the reason for Rumsfeld’s visit, it’s doubtful whether it was worth welcoming. When you consider how U.S. President Bush was so insensitive that he left Korea out of his list of allies that sent troops to Iraq, Rumsfeld’s sudden visit must be seen as having the intention of mollifying Korea and putting pressure on the country to extend its deployment in Iraq.

From this perspective, rather than filling oneself with this submissive (Korean: sadae-juui-jeok) ethnic feeling of, “Ah, the United States hasn’t forgotten our sincerity,” we should understand that we are falling into an even more dangerous quagmire.

Let me get this straight — Bush leaves Korea out of his acceptance speech, and that’s insensitive, but when Rummy visits the Koreans before any of the other 29 countries in Iraq, that’s pressure and painting bull’s eyes on Koreans’ backs?