Ruling Camp Confirms Troop Cut from Iraq--Korea Times

[Gloria]

From the new World Media Watch up now at the URL in sig below,
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4//The Korea Times, South Korea 11-20-2005 17:28

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200511/kt2005112017260210160.htm



RULING CAMP CONFIRMS TROOP CUT FROM IRAQ

By Lee Jin-woo, Staff Reporter



The ruling Uri Party and the Defense Ministry confirmed on Sunday that the government plans to reduce some 1,000 soldiers from Iraq, saying reports that came out Friday are mostly accurate.

Both groups agreed to phase out 1,000 of the current 3,260 troops stationed in the war-torn country as early as the first half of next year at a policy coordination meeting last Friday, according to reports.



Rep. Oh Young-sik, the governing party’s vice floor leader who briefed reporters on the one-hour meeting, said the contents of the ruling party-government meeting were supposed to be confidential and the troop reduction plan would be officially confirmed when the government submits its final plan to an Assembly panel on Tuesday.



“Actually, I didn’t say ‘reduction’ (in Korean), but used another term ‘adjustment.’ We still cannot officially confirm the plan in detail,’’ Rep. Oh told The Korea Times. “Besides, as Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung uttered the term `reduction’ prior to Friday’s meeting, it was difficult not to mention the troop cuts in the press briefing.”

MORE

[Tom Joad]

1. Can we reduce the number of US troops in Korea??

[daleo]

2. Only if Chalabi says so, as far as I can tell. n/t

[Barrett808]

3. The withdrawal is well underway. n/t

[norml]

4. South Korea approves Iraq troop cut

South Korea approves Iraq troop cut


Nov 21, 2005

The South Korean government on Monday approved a plan to reduce its military presence in Iraq by one-third next year.

A cabinet meeting led by Prime Minister Lee Hae-Chan endorsed the defence ministry bill to withdraw 1,000 troops from the 3,200-strong South Korean contingent in Iraq in the first half of 2006, officials said.

The bill stipulates that the reduced contingent of troops would extend their stay in Iraq for another year until December 2006, the officials said.

President Roh Moo-Hyun will send the government's troop reduction bill to parliament for approval either tomorrow or Wednesday, they added.

South Korean troops have been stationed in the northern Iraqi town of Arbil for relief and rehabilitation efforts since 2004.

The contingent is the third-largest force in the war-ravaged country after those of the United States and Britain.


snip


http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411366/630143