Afghan troop dispatch causes rifts
Published: 09 Nov. 2009, 01:07
A little more than a week after the government announced plans to dispatch troops to protect aid workers in Afghanistan, debates are raging as to whether sending forces is the right course of action. Political parties are predictably divided, while bureaucrats have been busy trying to defend the decision.
During the National Assembly’s questioning of the government policies on Friday, opposition lawmakers pointed to volatile security situations in the war-torn Afghanistan. Kim Choong-joh of the main opposition Democratic Party charged that the situation in Afghanistan is so serious that countries like Italy and Australia are withdrawing or planning to withdraw forces.
Kim also pointed to Korea’s decision to pull medics and engineers out of Afghanistan in 2007, after the Taliban kidnapped 23 Korean missionaries, killing two.
“The Taliban said it wouldn’t sit idly by if Korea sent troops again,” he said. “So what’s the justification to dispatch them this time?”
Song Young-sun of the Pro-Park United Party, an alliance of supporters of former Grand National Party head Park Geun-hye, urged the government to reconsider, but if it still had to send troops, “we need forces with enough capabilities to counter terrorism.”
On Oct. 30, the government announced a plan to dispatch police and military forces to protect civilian aid workers in the Provincial Reconstruction Team, or PRT. While the specific size of the PRT has not yet been determined, the government has said the number of civilian experts will increase from the current 25 to at least 130. Sources have said as many as 300 troops could be sent.
The government has said Korean soldiers would be “non-combat,” but critics said it’s meaningless to make such a distinction in a country where the Taliban has wreaked havoc.
“Afghanistan is a war zone with no safe area. It’s a place where terrorists shoot police,” said Moon Hak-jin of the Democratic Party. “It’s a place where rebuilding projects with good intentions are seen as a veiled attempt to help the corrupt government. The government must reconsider sending our troops, for the sake of our national interest and our people’s safety.”
In contrast, Grand National Party’s Kim Dong-sung didn’t just hail the decision; he called for a bigger PRT.
“The government’s decision to send troops to Afghanistan is the right one,” he said. “Considering our status in the international community and the size of other nations’ troop commitment, we should dispatch at least 1,000 people.”
But some lawmakers within the GNP raised security concerns. Rep. Kim Young-woo said the Koreans may find themselves in skirmishes with terrorists, and the government “must take the time to explain the possibility of unfortunate instances to the public and must be prepared for all contingencies.”
Defense Minister Kim Tae-young said, before the troop deployment plan was announced, Korean troops could end up in combat situations and that sacrifices would have to be endured.
Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan on Friday said Korean troops will be tasked with the protection of civilian workers but would have to respond if they came under fire.
“We have to be prepared for sacrifices and casualties,” Yu said. “Depending on the situation, we could get our forces more heavily armed. At this point, we’re still trying to determine just how to provide security for our PRT workers using what sort of weapons and with how many troops.”
Casualties or not, the government argues that contributing to the rebuilding efforts in Afghanistan is something Korea is obliged to do as a viable member of the international community.
Yu pointed out that Korea was able to bounce back from the post-Korean War devastation thanks to international aid, and now is the time for Korea to offer help for others.
By Yoo Jee-ho [[email protected]]
During the National Assembly’s questioning of the government policies on Friday, opposition lawmakers pointed to volatile security situations in the war-torn Afghanistan. Kim Choong-joh of the main opposition Democratic Party charged that the situation in Afghanistan is so serious that countries like Italy and Australia are withdrawing or planning to withdraw forces.
Kim also pointed to Korea’s decision to pull medics and engineers out of Afghanistan in 2007, after the Taliban kidnapped 23 Korean missionaries, killing two.
“The Taliban said it wouldn’t sit idly by if Korea sent troops again,” he said. “So what’s the justification to dispatch them this time?”
Song Young-sun of the Pro-Park United Party, an alliance of supporters of former Grand National Party head Park Geun-hye, urged the government to reconsider, but if it still had to send troops, “we need forces with enough capabilities to counter terrorism.”
On Oct. 30, the government announced a plan to dispatch police and military forces to protect civilian aid workers in the Provincial Reconstruction Team, or PRT. While the specific size of the PRT has not yet been determined, the government has said the number of civilian experts will increase from the current 25 to at least 130. Sources have said as many as 300 troops could be sent.
The government has said Korean soldiers would be “non-combat,” but critics said it’s meaningless to make such a distinction in a country where the Taliban has wreaked havoc.
“Afghanistan is a war zone with no safe area. It’s a place where terrorists shoot police,” said Moon Hak-jin of the Democratic Party. “It’s a place where rebuilding projects with good intentions are seen as a veiled attempt to help the corrupt government. The government must reconsider sending our troops, for the sake of our national interest and our people’s safety.”
In contrast, Grand National Party’s Kim Dong-sung didn’t just hail the decision; he called for a bigger PRT.
“The government’s decision to send troops to Afghanistan is the right one,” he said. “Considering our status in the international community and the size of other nations’ troop commitment, we should dispatch at least 1,000 people.”
But some lawmakers within the GNP raised security concerns. Rep. Kim Young-woo said the Koreans may find themselves in skirmishes with terrorists, and the government “must take the time to explain the possibility of unfortunate instances to the public and must be prepared for all contingencies.”
Defense Minister Kim Tae-young said, before the troop deployment plan was announced, Korean troops could end up in combat situations and that sacrifices would have to be endured.
Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan on Friday said Korean troops will be tasked with the protection of civilian workers but would have to respond if they came under fire.
“We have to be prepared for sacrifices and casualties,” Yu said. “Depending on the situation, we could get our forces more heavily armed. At this point, we’re still trying to determine just how to provide security for our PRT workers using what sort of weapons and with how many troops.”
Casualties or not, the government argues that contributing to the rebuilding efforts in Afghanistan is something Korea is obliged to do as a viable member of the international community.
Yu pointed out that Korea was able to bounce back from the post-Korean War devastation thanks to international aid, and now is the time for Korea to offer help for others.
By Yoo Jee-ho [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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