[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR]U.S. needs our help now

Controversy over whether to send our troops to Iraq has arisen again due to the recent release of photos that show troops from the United States and Britain abusing Iraqi prisoners. In what was already a war that lacked justification, we expect the government’s worries regarding the dispatch to increase with the human rights problem in the region.
Despite the lack of international support for the mission in Iraq, South Korea’s decision to back the U.S. by sending troops into the region is because of the special relationship between the two countries. The alliance is what deters North Korea’s military threat and the spread of communism on the peninsula, so the presence of the U.S. forces has been recognized as a core factor in our national security.
Although we have seen improvements in relations with North Korea after the summits in June 2000, it is quite early for us to underestimate the military threat that lies north of the border. We need to use this opportunity to enhance the alliance with the U.S. by providing it with help when it is most needed.

by Jeung Young-tai