ROK Army May Soon Begin Iraq Withdrawal
According to the Joong Ang Ilbo the ROK Army may begin a withdrawal of forces later this year from Iraq:
South Korean military leaders in Iraq have recommended that Seoul consider gradually reducing its forces in the north of the country, starting late this summer, sources in the government and Uri Party said yesterday. The Korean military has concluded that Iraqis will be capable of assuming a larger security role as early as August.
The sources said the Roh administration has seized on the suggestion as a way to express dissatisfaction over what it views as U.S. favoritism for Japan.
What I find interesting about this is that the ROK Army isn’t providing any security in Iraq. In fact in the relatively safe Northern Iraqi Kurdistan, the Kurdish Peshmerga are providing security for the ROK Army. That is why there has been no deaths of any ROK Army personnel during the deployment. In fact the greatest accomplishment for the ROK Army was the introduction of modern bathroom culture and toilet paper. Korea is able to do so much more in Iraq but chooses not to. Many nations with smaller populations than Korea’s fought in the Korean War and gave up their lives for Korea. Here is a listing of deaths from foreign countries during the Korean War:
US – 33,629
UK – 1,078
Turkey – 717
Canada – 310
Australia – 339
France – 290
Greece – 169
Columbia – 140
Ethiopia – 120
Neth. – 111
Thailand – 114
Belgium – 100
Phillipines – 92
It’s a good thing for Korea that a country like Ethiopia did more for freedom in this country than what Korea is willing to do in Iraq.
I’m not saying the ROK Army should even take any casualties in Iraq. I’m just advocating that Korea should do more than give people toilets. Build a highway, bridge, governmental buildings, or even a dam. These are all things Koreans excel at building.
Here are some statements from the Uri party I found interesting:
“The United States has chosen Japan as its proxy to control the growing Chinese influence in the region,” a top Uri Party official said. “The United States has given full support to Japan, including Tokyo’s bid to become a UN Security Council member. That is the background of why Tokyo is pushing its territorial claims over Dokdo against Seoul, and why Washington is silent about it.” Uri representative Woo Won-shik said, “We have nothing to gain by deploying the troops in Iraq for a long time. I support the reduction.”
“To show that South Korea-U.S. relations are not unilateral, we should withdraw, or at least reduce the forces,” Uri Representative Im Jong-in said.
I’m confused, it sounds like Representative Woo wants Korea to be the US’s proxy in Asia and not Japan? Then to say that the US supports Japan’s claim on Dokto because the government chooses to keep quiet about it is absurd. Has it ever occurred to this guy maybe the US government doesn’t care about Dokto? Just like more and more Americans are beginning to care less about Korea?
It pains me to say this because I really like Korea, but why shouldn’t the US show more support for Japan in the region instead of Korea? The Japanese government has been a steadfast ally of the US compared to the constant bickering with the South Korean government over everything from the 2ID redeployment, the Yongsan garrison move, North Korea, missile defense, and now the ROK Army deployment. So if the ROK Army begins withdrawing from Iraq then so be it. I guess the Iraqis will just have to learn to use toilet paper on their own.
Hey, if thats all the ROK Army can do is deliver tiolets, well, what a shame, they should never of went to Iraq. ROK should be ashamed of itself. Looks to me like its time to leave ROK and let them deal with NK. As for the bickering over the island, if a Korean cant argue daily about something hes not a happy person. Ever tell a Korean a joke, watch their response, theres a reason they dont laugh, they're trying to figure out how to argue the punch line.
I remind those who say the ROK military isnt pulling their share in the Iraq conflict to recall ROK’s support during the Vietnam conflict. Many ROK soldiers and marines gave their lives supporting a policy in Vietnam that shares many similarities to the current policy in Iraq.
America’s blunder in Vietnam is being echoed in Iraq. Once again America tries to forcefully introduce “demorcracy†to a culture it knows little about.
For example at the start of the Vietnam war the United States Embassy did not have one American who spoke Vietnamese. The CIA (Americas official think tank) had no idea if Ho Chi Minh was even alive in 1954. Americas national security advisor (Mac Bundy) hadnt even been to Vietnam until 1965, when America already had 3000 “advisors†in country. It had only one goal in mind, stop communism from engulfing Vietnam without pissing off the Russians or Chinese. Robert MacNamara himself later admitted in an official letter that he believed the war was unwinnable way back in 1965.
These are just a few of the many errors America made at the cost of 3 million Vietnamese, 58000 Americans and several thousand Korean lives.
Here we are 40 years later and America finds itself making similar errors in Iraq. The bush administration falsely assumed that once Saddam Hussein was ousted out of power, Iraqis would simply embrace America’s system of government! They failed to see the important differences amongst the Shia and Sunni populations, not to mention the Kurdish factor. The shiites and Sunnis have been at odds for a thousand years. If you would have asked Don Rumsfeld what sectatarian violence meant back in April of 2003 he would have simply said “whats that.â€
Why should Korea sacrafice its men and women to a cause in Iraq that will ultimately fail just as Americas cause did in Vietnam? Once again America is too stubborn to admit the huge mistakes its made in Iraq. Bush only recently admitted publicly the mistakes he made in his policy. Now many fine American youth and countless Iraqis will die as a result. Korea knows better and is absolutely justified in limiting the danger its forces face in Iraq.
Many western scholars believe the region surrounding the euprharates and Tigris rivers is where the beginning of civilization rose. Thus, Iraq has a long history of human interaction. Baghdad itself has only been conquered once and that was by Khan at the height of his conquest across Asia, Europe and the middle East. Iraq will only be governed by Iraqis and only by their own terms.
America has the worlds most advanced military in terms of technology and resources. Americans charish life and the persuit of happiness. The guerillas fighting America have time on their side and thousands of fighters willing to die. This is the greatest similarity between Vietnam and Iraq. Ho Chi Minh knew it and so does Osama Bin Laden. Ho Chi Minh always reminded his followers in time America will lose its desire to fight and eventually back out. The vietnamese just kept dying and sure enough 10 years later, America finally admits to defeat and withdraws its self. America will in time realize Iraq’s fate will be decieded by Iraqis not by the Bush Administration. Thousands of Iraqis have died and will die until that moment in time is realized.
The ROK and its people are very grateful America et. al. came to their rescue during the 1950’s. I am personally very greatful to be an American. I firmly believe America gives its citizens the best comfort of living that can be obtained in today’s world. I have nothing but pure respect for those who pick up the rifle and stand the post thus providing all Americans with a secure blanket of freedom.
As a token of its graditude, ROK sent 33000 of its men and some women to Vietnam in aid of the American coalition. Many fought and died there. My father served two tours as an infantry platoon commander in the ROK army. ROK tours then were 18 months long. As any veteran of the conflict will tell you, there was nothing closer to hell on Earth.
During his service in Vietnam my father was exposed to Agent Orange. Regardless of what government officials state about Agent Orange, the nasty solution contained dioxyin. Dioxyin is known as a mutagen responsible for birth defects. Several years later my mother had a miscarriage. The year after my older brother was born with a fatal heart condition and died four days later. Two years later I was born with a rare eye disorder known as congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles.
Only recently did the United States government offer ROK veterans compensation for countless health effects stemming from exposure to agent orange. My father never asked or received such compensation for damage caused by the chemical. I myself will never ask for compensation. I am simply grateful for being American alive and well.
I live life knowing countless persons such as my father sacraficed much for America during the Vietnam War. Thus, there is no obligation for Korea to once again sacrafice its fighting men and women for Americas policy in Iraq.