Uri Party Mulling Iraq Troop Pullout

Some lawmakers from the ruling Uri Party are proposing the pullout of Zaytun troops deployed in Iraq in the wake of the 2006 U.S. midterm elections, and the Defense Ministry will pay high attention whether National Assembly approves the extension of the deployment in December.

Some Uri lawmakers oppose the extension, saying, “Given that the Bush administration has lost the midterm elections mainly because of its Iraq policy, and because it is considering a shift in its Iraq policies, there is no justification for stationing our troops in Iraq.”

Uri Lawmaker Lim Jong-seok said in a government hearing session held on November 10, “The administration should propose the pullout plan first and consult with the U.S. and Iraq on the issue.” In addition, Ahn Young-geun, Uri lawmaker, said in a radio interview on the same day, “The governing party will hold a government-party meeting considering the mounting pressure among the party members to withdraw our troops from Iraq.”

The minority Democratic Labor Party who has been opposed to the dispatch of Zaytun is preparing to propose a parliamentary resolution for pulling out the Korean troops from Iraq.

The government has allegedly set a policy that withdrawal of the entire force is not viable regarding the Korea-U.S. relationship. “Considering the situation in Iraq and the possible policy changes of the U.S. after Republican Party losses in U.S. midterm elections, the Korean government is considering extending the stay of the troops but reducing the number,” said a military source.

Against the backdrop of seeking parliamentary approval for a further 12-month extension, the Defense Ministry will likely refer a government proposal to the National Assembly around the end of November, which suggests an additional reduction of the number of troops from 2,300 to less than 1,500 at the expense of extending the deployment of the Zaytun unit.

Korea has maintained 3,200 troops in the northern Iraqi town of Irbil in 2004, the first year in Iraq, but it is set to phrase out the number of troops to 2,300 by the end of the year 2006.

It is highly likely the government will cut the number of troops given that the government is considering dispatching hundreds of peacekeeping troops to Lebanon.

ysh1005@donga.com