S. Korea Explains Iraq Troop Deployment

[ConcernedCanuk]

. . Friday November 28, 2003 5:46 PM


By SANG-HUN CHOE

Associated Press Writer

SEOUL, South Korea - President Roh Moo-hyun said Friday that he decided to send troops to Iraq hoping it would encourage the United States to continue to work to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis.

Roh said history may judge him harshly for making the decision earlier this month to send up to 3,000 troops to Iraq to help U.S. forces restore order in Iraq. South Korea already has hundreds of non-combat troops, mostly medics and engineers in the country, a move that set off violent protests earlier this year.

South Korea has yet to decide whether the new troops deployment will include combat forces or when they will be deployed.

/snip/

The United States and its allies are trying to persuade communist North Korea to abandon its development of nuclear weapons in return for security guarantees and economic benefits.

South Korea insists that the crisis be resolved peacefully. It believes that any forceful steps by the United States, such as economic sanctions, would escalate tensions and hurt its economy.



Hmmm - SK "insists" that the crisis be resolved peacefully

Does the Junior Cowboy know how do do anything "peacefully" ??

I have my doubts

[psychopomp]

1. A purely symbolic gesture

meant to assure the maintenance of the strategic alliance of the U.S. much like that which motivates the dominant political factions in Japan.