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While hostilities in Iraq continue and as South Korea has second thoughts about sending more troops, it has emerged that the United States has reportedly insisted on numerous occasions since the end of last year that military engineering troops would not be needed. This indicates that the two countries have different plans for the character of South Korea¡¯s military presence in Iraq.
According to a high-ranking government official, between last October and early this year, when Korea was promoting the dispatch of troops for the reconstruction of Iraq, the United States clarified several times that such military aid would not necessary and instead requested combat troops.
General Leon LaPorte, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, personally told Defense Minister Cho Young-kil that there are many countries offering engineering troops and that such forces from Korea would not be necessary, the source said referring to the conversation between LaPorte and Cho.
The United States¡¯ request for combat troops was overtly discontinued when the National Assembly passed the motion for sending 3,600 peaceful reconstructing troops to Iraq. However, reports of ongoing requests for combat troops confirmed the differing stands the two countries are taking, which would likely bring about conflict concerning the duties of Korean troops.
A Defense Ministry official said that last month the United States reportedly expressed concern about the battle readiness of the Korean troops and suggested a joint combat attack in Kirkuk. However, the result was an assignment of Korean troops to another region.
The Defense Ministry said that when its fact-finding group returns from Iraq on April 19, Korean troops are expected to be relocated to either Arbil or Sulaimany on a mission of peaceful reconstruction.
(Yoo Yong-won, kysu@chosun.com )
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