[Editorial] Intensifying Conflicts in Iraq and Dispatch Dilemma

The situation in Iraq is deteriorating. Things are worse now than one year ago when the U.S. military took over Baghdad, mounting up to a “second war.” The Shiites and Sunnis, once hostile to one another, have joined hands against the U.S. forces, raising concerns that conflicts could lead to a war of “Iraq vs. occupying power.”

Primary blame falls on the U.S.’ shoulders for letting things come this far. The growing intensity of Iraqi resistance shows that they cannot be bent by force alone. The U.S. should not try to deal with the situation by force, but take responsibility for not reading Iraqi sentiment properly. The occupation policy that sharply differentiates between friend and foe should be dropped, and the U.S. should strive to embrace the Iraqi people as a whole.

The nation must also take note of the international community’s demand that it cooperate with the United Nations. If the U.S. continues to go it alone, it will be hard to escape suspicion that the U.S. is looking out for its own interest in regard with petroleum rather than pursuing peace and reconstruction for Iraq.

As a nation planning to dispatch 3,000 troops to Iraq, Korea cannot easily dismiss the current situation. Though the scheduled dispatch location in northern Iraq is relatively peaceful, nobody knows when trouble will arise. There are some signs of agitation in Korea, with the Millennium Democratic Party calling for a review of the dispatch plan from scratch and civil groups demanding a withdrawal of the dispatch motion.

However, the dispatch to Iraq is a national commitment that was decided by the government and agreed by the National Assembly. We cannot go back on our promise just because the going is getting tough. The best thing the government can do at present is doing its utmost to guarantee the safety of the troops. It would be wise to exercise flexibility to take into account changes in Iraq’s situation. Reviews on not only the date, but the scale and composition of dispatch troops must be undertaken if needed.