Uri Party Decides to Support Troop Dispatch Plan to Iraq

The ruling Uri Party, which had disputed Korea’s planned dispatch of troops to Iraq, has decided to support the government’s plan for an additional troop dispatch to Iraq. As ruling party’s position was set up like that, additional troop deployments to the northern Iraqi town of Irbil, scheduled for mid-August, are expected to start along the right lines.

The Uri Party floor leader corps agreed to support the government’s plan to dispatch additional troops to Iraq during a meeting on Monday morning.

“We agreed that it was reasonable to get an assurance to be constant with the purpose of deployment from the government, and to execute the troop dispatch in accordance with the new U.N. resolution,” said vice floor leader Jeon Byung-hun, after the meeting.

A lawmaker having participated in that meeting said, “The general atmosphere was that there wasn’t justification to oppose the additional troop dispatch under the circumstances after the U.N. Security Council passed its resolution,” adding, “The general opinion was that it was impossible to come to a vote at a caucus or to discuss this matter with convening the National Assembly.”

About 10 vice floor leaders, including senior vice floor leader Lee Jong-kul, Jeon Byung-hun, Park Young-sun, Kim Young-joo, Jung Chung-rae, Choe Jae-sung, and Hong Mi-young participated, but Uri’s floor leader Chun Jung-bae didn’t participate in the meeting due to central standing committee obligations.

Chun made his position clear that it was difficult to shift its official position, saying, “The platform of the party on the additional troop dispatch has already been set up,” and added, “We are discussing since there are requests for reconsideration, but we can’t come to a conclusion however endlessly we may discuss it.”

The ruling party finally decided on its position during a high-level security consultative meeting for the party, government, and Cheong Wa Dae on Monday evening, attended by Uri’s chairman Shin-Ki-nam, floor leader Chun Jung-bae, Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, Defense Minister Cho Young-kil, Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Woo-sik, National Security Advisor Kwon Chin-ho and others in order to bring the dispute over the troop dispatch to a conclusion.

President Roh Moo-hyun is expected to meet with Uri Party leaders and lawmakers belonging to the Action Committee for National Unity on June 16 at Cheong Wa Dae to ask once more for support for the planned troop dispatch.

In the meantime, the Uri Party will hold a session of parliament on the morning of June 17 to make a final confirmation of support for the additional troop dispatch. The presidential National Security Council will make a final decision on the troop dispatch plan on the same day.

Seung-Heon Lee dreamland@donga.com ddr@donga.com