Koreans tread cautiously as Mosul awaits troops

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Koreans tread cautiously as Mosul awaits troops

MOSUL, Iraq - The 400-kilometer (250-mile) ride from Baghdad to the northern oil field town of Mosul was nervous. Iraqi police stopped and inspected cars on all major roads.
“The inspections are to prevent crimes ― particularly armed robbery, car theft and illegal weapons,” a local policeman said Wednesday.
Mosul is considered a possible destination for South Korean combat troops, should they be dispatched. The United States had hoped to replace its 101st Airborne Division in the north with a multinational force, and its 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in south-central Iraq with the Polish-led light infantry division.
“The U.S. military has transferred responsibility for public order to local police in major cities,” the policeman said. “U.S. soldiers are now focusing on combat missions against resistance forces, as well as patrolling outer areas.” Convoys of U.S. military vehicles armed with machine guns patrolled northern Iraq. A fighter jet was seen near Tikrit, Saddam Hussein’s hometown; explosions were heard, and two large mushroom clouds arose near Mosul.
Deployment of Polish-led forces began last month, and the Pentagon wants to replace its air assault unit early next year, according to General John Kean, vice chief of staff of the U.S. Army. However, he did not give specifics about the multinational force expected to replace the U.S. Airborne Division in northern Iraq.
A South Korean fact-finding team left Seoul yesterday to survey Iraq before a possible troop deployment, and Mosul is one of the group’s destinations. The town, where Hussein’s sons, Uday and Qusay, were shot dead by U.S. forces in July, appeared peaceful Wednesday.
“About 60 percent of the 800,000 Mosul residents are Sunni Muslims, but many Christians, Kurds and Turkmens are living here,” said Hunain al Qaddo, an economics professor at Mosul University. “It is rather safe because people with different religions and races live together.”
Sunni Muslims, who controlled Iraq under the Hussein regime, were laying low, Dr. al Qaddo said. But he warned that delays in rebuilding the country or political instability could very quickly lead to armed conflicts between religious and ethnic groups.
Despite the peaceful appearance, locals voiced concerns about their safety. A Turkmen merchant said robberies had increased sharply. “It was better when the U.S. military was here,” the 32-year-old man said. “Rumors have spread that Hussein supporters are planning something. If not Americans, we want Koreans, Japanese or anybody to protect us.”
Yusuf Hamaa Lallu, vice governor of Ninawa province where Mosul is located, added: “If Korean soldiers come, it will be a great help to stabilize Mosul. Many residents believe they will be better than Americans.”
U.S. Army Captain Jamie Philips, in charge of Iraqi administration in Mosul, said, “We hope Korean troops arrive here as soon as possible.”


by Seo Jeong-min
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