The Defense Ministry is planning to cut the number of Korean troops in Iraq by a third in the first half of the year:
South Korea will begin phasing out one-third of its 3,260 troops stationed in Iraq on a humanitarian mission in the first half of next year, the Defense Ministry said Friday.
The government will submit to the National Assembly a motion centered on returning home about 1,000 troops from the Zaytun unit, around Wednesday, the ministry said.
The ministry reported the plan to the governing Uri Party in a party-government policy consultation meeting held at the National Assembly attended by Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung.
Combat forces will be mainly affected by the plan, with medics and military engineers required to stay to support the U.S.-led reconstruction efforts in the post-war Iraq, officials said.
The motion will also include a suggestion to extend the troops’ deployment for another year, they said.
9 Comments
So does this mean the Lord’s work is done, then?
Hankyroeh says withdrawing 1,000 looks like a ploy to get the country to go along with keeping the _rest_ of them in Iraq for another year.
Silly at first, but actually makes a little sense. Not like they’re doing a whole lot over there anyway.
Mark’s comment and link refer to a story in the English Chosun about how superior the Korean toilets donated by Woongjin Coway are — the Zayitun brigade’s barracks are apparently outfitted with bidets to wash clean their dainty little asses.
How hellish Iraqi toilets must be, to have the Koreans talking about upgrading the local toilet culture!
Pulling out the Korean troops! Oh man here’s comes that civil war all the “experts” have predicted.
“the Zayitun brigade’s barracks are apparently outfitted with bidets to wash clean their dainty little asses.”
Those ‘dainty little assed’ men have nothing to do with political games that are played out in Seoul. They don’t make the decision whether they fight or not. All they did wrong was to volunteer in face of an unpopular war. How about a little fairness here?
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/S.....210004.asp
“Taiwan, along with China, is a member of the forum but Korea, under pressure from China, refused to allow a high-level Taiwanese leader to attend this year’s summit.”
When all troops of USFK leave Korea, Korea will be in the same shape as Taiwan. In near future, this will be read,
“Korea, is a member of the forum but VietNam, under pressure from China, refused to allow a high-level Korean leader to attend this year’s summit.”
Wake up, Korea. China will eat you up. And, you will become “nobody” like Taiwan.
I don’t know why my address does not work. Just go to KoreaHerald http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/index.asp
and read “Taiwan seeks to upgrade status at APEC”.
If you are a Korean, read this and weep. This is the future of Korea.
A real fighting man doesn’t use a bidet.
If the Nork threat to Korea is serious, then the Zaytun Bde should not be in Iraq at all. They should be back here in Korea helping to cover the reduction in 2nd Inf Div combat power.