**SOUTH KOREA TO SPEED UP TROOPS TO IRAQ TO HELP USA, FOLLOWING SADDAM'S CAPTURE***

Hankook Ilbo Newspaper (Seoul, Korea in English) ^ | 15 December 2003 | Hankook Ilbo Newspaper (Seoul, Korea in English)

[AmericanInTokyo]

SOUTH KOREA, US Talk on Speedy Troop Dispatch

By Shim Jae-yoon and Seo Soo-min, Staff Reporters --15 December 2003 (Hankook Ilbo Daily, Seoul, Korea)

The (S. Korean) government, driven by the capture of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, started consultations with the United States in order to speed up the dispatch of troops to Iraq.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Monday (Dec. 15) called S. Korean Foreign Affairs-Trade Minister Yoon Young-kwan to say that the capture of Saddam Hussein will positively influence South Korea's dispatch of troops to Iraq.

In the telephone call made early in the morning, Powell explained the situation surrounding the former Iraqi leader’s arrest in Tikrit on Saturday, ministry officials said.

“Powell said the arrest is expected to deal a major blow to his (Saddam’s) supporters," Foreign Ministry officials said in a press release. “He mentioned his hopes that this will lead to beneficial results to countries sending troops such as Republic of Korea.” South Korea finalized a decision Sunday to send 3,000 soldiers to Iraq to help with the U.S.-led rehabilitation projects.

“We came to the decision to send the troops without considering the fate of Saddam Hussein. But we believe the sudden capture has surely reduced the uneasiness regarding the plan,” a Cheong Wa Dae (the S. Korean "White House") official said.

“The capture of Saddam will remarkably weaken the resistance of the remaining Iraqi insurgents. There will no major battle any longer,” said Rhee Bong-jo, head of policy bureau at the National Security Council (NSC).

Rhee rebuffed the idea that Saddam’s capture had direct impact on South Korea’s plan. “We have been pursuing the troop dispatch with the goal of promoting peace and helping rehabilitation,” Rhee said.

Lee indicated the administration said it would send troops around May next year. “It takes about four months to prepare for the troop dispatch,” Lee said.

The Joint Chiefs of Staffs of Seoul will consult with Washington diplomats,while a third survey team will soon head to Iraq for a better assessment of Iraq’s reconstruction.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Not bad. Hmmm, not bad at all.

More BAD news for Uzma Bashir, International A.N.S.W.E.R., France/Germany and the Democrats. I can almost hear them crying into their pillows, trying to muffle the sound.

[billorites]

Here's the tipping point that Victor Davis Hanson was talking about.

[billorites]

Hanson article Here.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Now what you do (I know I know it is a bit 'machiavellian', but it isn't pure evil IMHO, just tactical) is let on to the Japanese through various diplomatic, social and business channels that the Koreans may very well beat them to the punch on massive and delicious Middle East reconstruction projects, and heaven knows, no Japanese trading firm or construction company wants to get beat by Taehan Minkuk! Add a dash of more competition, the whole thing heats up, and pretty soon we are well past the global 'tipping point.' I am sure the USA is thinking about this kind of message through the State Department worldwide today.

A group called "The Federation of Indian Industrial Companies", I believe, is already blanketing Washington DC with a slick little handbook entitled "Indian Firms Capable of Iraqi Rebuilding", with the list of Indian firms with hopes of snagging recon work. This whole thing can really whip up into great momentum for the USA if played right.

[billorites]

"This whole thing can really whip up into great momentum for the USA if played right."

There will likely be a global "piling on," perhaps even as we speak.

[glorgau]

I think they would get more credit if they had stepped up to the plate before the capture.

[AmericanInTokyo]

They were stepping up to the plate already...this sure increased the speed of their gait.

[Coop]

Hey South Korea, don't send your troops unless you're prepared to leave them there through thick and thin.

[ZOTnot]

Call me skeptical, but on another thread today, South Korea revealed that it had been infiltrated by Al Quaeda who had conducted surveillance activities (photos of military sites)and had already left the country again.

I think South Korea believes it will be the next battle ground both from North Korea, and from AQ, and they need to be our 'friends', QUICKLY.

[EvilOverlord]

Are we internationalized yet? < /SARCASM>

[AmericanInTokyo]

I seem to recall that thread.

[Mamzelle]

They stepped up to no plate. The Koreans have a huge, well-trained and well-equipped military and thus far only committed to MAYBE sending some non-soldiers. Bah. A bunch of useless, bratty ingrates--thousands of US dead to protect SK, and a lousy 700 non-combat personnel when we ask for help.

Cheesy.

Let's slap a nice tariff on cell phones and DVD players.

[AmericanInTokyo]

A bunch of useless, bratty ingrates--thousands of US dead to protect SK, and a lousy 700 non-combat personnel when we ask for help.

Are YOU there Mamzelle? Are you going to Iraq? When is your flight out? Going to be stationed in Samawa? Basra? Falluja? Mosul? Kirkuk? The Big B, itself?

What's that I hear (in response)?

Well, then I would advise you to close your no-good, less-than-helpful trap.

[Mamzelle]

You can try to bring it about, but I think it'll require more than the typical shivering Pacific xenophobe to accomplish it.

There has been little other than despicable in the way that the South Koreans have behaved in the past two or three years.

I repeat--vapid little brats, sitting in their video cafes playing pretend battles, got together to elect Roh for no better reason than to spite the country that stood between their parents and death fifty years ago.

The bitter thing is that US troops are still there doing the same thing, after crowds of thousands of same overfed teenagers protest and howl against America.

700 noncombat personnel? Why don't you just KEEP them--

And a nice fat tariff on SK goods would help pay our own soldiers to do the job. Lousy Samsung stuff is just junk, anyway...

[Mamzelle]

And, by the way, you ought to be a little careful with a forum full of the relatives of Korean veterans. Thousands died so that these selfsame brats could flourish in affluence, in the richest free economy in Asia.

And those same veterans brought home memories of how shabbily and with what profound lack of compassion that the Korean nation treats its orphans--

[Joe 6-pack]

Hopefully they'll send some of their interrogators to *help* with Sadaam.

[bert]

....U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Monday (Dec. 15) called S. Korean Foreign Affairs-Trade Minister Yoon Young-kwan.....

This call, before or after the cancer surgery

[cynicom]

If it takes 6 months to send 3000 troops, how long does it take to get them in line if the North Koreans come knocking????

[Skooz]

Dang!

ROK troops?

That's not even fair. I pity the poor Iraqi terorists.
No, I don't.

[bert]

In my experience, Koreans (the large companies)are capable but completely lacking in business morals.

Cheating and lying are ordinary practices.

Avoid them unless absolutely necessary.