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U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney will visit Japan, Australia and Guam between Feb. 20 and 27. The White House says Cheney will meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Australian Prime Minister John Howard to discuss security concerns in Asia and the war on terror, while delivering President George W. Bush¡¯s message of thanks for those countries¡¯ efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
At the request of the United States, Korea dispatched 3,400 troops to Iraq. The contingent is called the Zaytun Division. Korea also sent 200 soldiers to Afghanistan and 120 to Kuwait. Korea has sent the third-largest contingent of troops those countries following the U.S. and the U.K.
If Korea did not cherish its alliance with the U.S., there would be no reason for young Koreans to go to Iraq and Afghanistan. The only reason the Korean government dispatched troops there is because of our commitment to the alliance. Korea dispatched the troops even at the risk of damaging its ties with Middle Eastern countries, which are important markets for Korean businesses. Our trade relations with Iran have been strained already due to the troop dispatches. But the decision was made in honor of the alliance, despite strong opposition inside Korea.
But in his nomination acceptance speech in 2004, President Bush thanked eight countries, including Japan, which dispatched troops to Iraq yet he left out Korea, which has sent six times more troops than Japan. When this created problems, U.S. officials began to thank Korea. Cheney thanked Korea personally during his trip to Korea in 2004.
But Koreans still felt uncomfortable, because it was difficult to read the true feelings of the Bush administration. It seemed as if the message of thanks was forced. That¡¯s why Cheney¡¯s excuse -- that he is bypassing Korea since he came here two years ago -- is difficult to understand. Australia dispatched 1,400 soldiers and Japan brought back all of its 550 troops last year.
Perhaps U.S. officials believe Korea¡¯s dispatch of troops to the relatively safe Kurdish region didn¡¯t help American military operations in Iraq. The Bush administration may have grown tired of the relationship with the Korean government, which has not been entirely smooth in recent years. But despite rising global criticism of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, Korea continues to maintain troops in that country and has contributed US$260 million to the reconstruction of Iraq, the sixth largest amount. It is not just a matter of treating an ally properly, but also a matter of diplomatic courtesy to treat with respect the people of a country that has done so much.
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