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South Korean troops to Iraq not to exceed 3,000: Report
Seoul, Oct 27: The second batch of South Korean troops to be sent to Iraq will not exceed 3,000 in number, a news report said today.
Seoul, Oct 27: The second batch of South Korean
troops to be sent to Iraq will not exceed 3,000 in number, a
news report said today.
Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified high
official of the national security council as saying that local
press reports that South Korea would send up to 10,000 troops
to Iraq were "exaggerated."
"The size will not exceed 3,000," the official said. "Most of the reports were exaggerated... I am revealing the tentative size because it appeared necessary to clear up the confusion," he said. The South Korean government agreed on October 18 to a US request for more troops for Iraq after a UN resolution approved a multinational force for the war-torn country.
The size and make-up of the troop deployment has yet to be announced but Washington has reportedly asked South Korea to send 5,000 combat troops. South Korea sent 675 non-combatants, including Army engineers and medics, to Iraq in May.
The latest request has triggered protests from South Koreans opposed to the US invasion of Iraq, many of whom also fault the US hard line on North Korea over the nuclear crisis.
Bureau Report
"The size will not exceed 3,000," the official said. "Most of the reports were exaggerated... I am revealing the tentative size because it appeared necessary to clear up the confusion," he said. The South Korean government agreed on October 18 to a US request for more troops for Iraq after a UN resolution approved a multinational force for the war-torn country.
The size and make-up of the troop deployment has yet to be announced but Washington has reportedly asked South Korea to send 5,000 combat troops. South Korea sent 675 non-combatants, including Army engineers and medics, to Iraq in May.
The latest request has triggered protests from South Koreans opposed to the US invasion of Iraq, many of whom also fault the US hard line on North Korea over the nuclear crisis.
Bureau Report