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The Taliban warn about troops for Afghanistan

Published: 10 Dec. 2009, 21:42

The Taliban has warned the Korean government that its recent decision to dispatch troops to Afghanistan would lead to “bad consequences.” But the government said it will today submit its plan for a National Assembly review and insisted the main mission of its troops would be to protect aid workers rather than to engage in battle.

According to an e-mail statement carried by the DPA newswire service Wednesday, the Taliban noted that Seoul withdrew its forces after 23 Korean Christian missionaries were kidnapped and that Korea had promised it “will never try to send their forces again in future ... If they send their forces to Afghanistan and break their promise, then they should also be prepared for bad consequences.” The Taliban added that they “will never resort to a soft approach anymore.”

On Tuesday, Korea announced that it had finalized a plan to send up to 350 troops to protect aid workers on the provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan from July 2010 to December 2012. The measure will be submitted today to the National Assembly where it is pending approval.

In response to the Taliban warning, Korean officials said they had predicted such Taliban action and the warning would not affect the nation’s plan. Won Tae-jae, spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said the government would try to ensure the safety of Korean forces in the war-torn nation.

“The troops that will accompany our PRT will operate under airtight security measures, even in safest of regions,” he said. “We’re also developing ways to further protect our civilians there.”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young said troop activities “will be confined to protecting civilian PRT workers,” adding the workers will help rebuild Afghanistan and extend humanitarian assistance.

By Yoo Jee-ho [[email protected]]