Oppose Dispatching Korean Combat Troops to Iraq

International Appeal to Oppose Dispatching Korean Combat Troops to Iraq -The Korean government and National Assembly must say no to the US' unjust request for additional Korean troops!

Dear Peace-loving Friends of the World,

Warm Greetings from Seoul, Korea!

On September 23, 2003, 351 civic and social organizations in Korea launched a coalition, "People's Action Against the Dispatching of Troops to Iraq," to prevent the Korean government from dispatching Korean combat troops to Iraq. The coalition is composed of most of the major civic and social organizations including People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, Korea Federation for Environmental Movement, Korea Minjung-People's- Network, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, Green Korea United, Korea Women's Association United, YMCA Korea, Korea Farmers' League, Minbyun--Lawyers' Association for a Democratic Society, Democratic Labors Party, Women Making Peace, and All Together.

This is yet another main initiative organized by Korean civic and social organizations as part of a broader movement against the US invasion of Iraq. We have organized International Day of Action against the war in February and mass protests against the dispatching of non-combatant troops in March. Moreover Korean peace activists took part in the international efforts to stop the war and assist the people of Iraq by sending "Anti-war Peace Team" to Iraq. Having received a request from Washington to dispatch Korean combat troops to Iraq in a massive scale (approximately 5,000 troops) last September, the Korean government is gearing up to decide on the matter through various activities like sending a field inspection team to Iraq. In response to this, Korean civic, social, and peace organizations are planning to organize a multitude of activities to stop any additional dispatching of Korean troops, especially combat troops, to Iraq and would like to appeal to international civil society and peace loving citizens of the world for their support.

In the spirit of international solidarity, we would like to urge you and your organization to sign the statement issued by People's Action Against the Dispatching of Korean Troops to Iraq and send the letter of support to (wmp@peacewomen.or.kr or humanrights@korea.com ) by no later than October 14, 2003. We will send all the received signatures, together with signatures collected in Korea, to President Roh Moo-hyun, Korean Minister of Defense, President Bush, and US Ambassador of Korea to show public's opposition to the war. Your speedy cooperation and solidarity will be critical to our success in preventing Korean combat troops from being sent to Iraq.

Yours in Peace,

Gyung-Lan Jung(Women Making Peace) wmp@peacewomen.or.kr or humanrights@korea.com

People's Action Against the Dispatching of Korean Troops to Iraq

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International Appeal to Protest Against the Dispatching of Korean Combat Troops to Iraq - The Korean government and National Assembly must say no to Washington's unjust request for additional Korean troops!

The Bush administration, which unilaterally started the War on Iraq despite the opposition and criticism from the international community, has requested the Korean government to send additional troops to Iraq. Such a request by the US is yet another expression of American unilateralism as it is an attempt to shift the responsibility and burden of the immoral war to the international community. At the same time we note that such a request amounts to Washington's admission of the failure of its preemptive strike strategy in Iraq.

Despite Bush's declaration of victory, the war is far from over. As the war is dragged on, the number of US troop casualty has already surpassed the number during the war. The war has not brought peace to Iraq. It has only brought the vicious cycle of revenge and terror instead. As a result, the US is facing ever growing resistance from the Iraqi people and the people of the Middle East against the unilateral war and occupation, both without justification. At the beginning of the US' illegal war, international peace organizations and peace loving citizens warned that a war would only lead to a vicious cycle of more violence. This is the reality in Iraq today.

Immoralities of the war are also found in many places. New facts are uncovered showing that warmongers in the US and UK lied and manipulated their evidences to justify the war. The US has searched everywhere in Iraq but failed to find any trace of weapons of mass destruction. Furthermore, it has not yet produced concrete evidences that Saddam Hussein is connected to the terrorists who committed the 9-11 attack.

As of this moment, the Korean government is being pressured by the Bush administration to dispatch a light infantry unit (approximately 5,000 troops) with independent command. The US is forcing the Korean people to dispatch troops who will face the Iraqi people at gun point. The Korean government must say no to such unjust request.

Sending Korean troops to the battle field where nothing can't be foreseen except death means walking into the abyss of a long term war where they, together with the US soldiers, will be embroiled in a vicious cycle of violence. Increasing combat capability will inevitably lead to more casualties, which will then prompt stronger resistance. Additional Korean troops will not help to ease the tension between the US military and the Iraqi people. It will only heighten the tension instead. The real reason why the US military is in a predicament right now is that it is currently occupying Iraq after an illegal preemptive strike.

Moreover, sending of combat troops will only worsen the situation in Iraq and arouse the resistance of the Iraqi people. In order to resolve internal conflicts in Iraq, the US must first admit its wrong doing and immediately announce its plan to withdraw its military force from Iraq. If and only if the people of Iraq requests UN's assistance in nation rebuilding and the UN decides to form a peace keeping force afterward, we may discuss the issue of participation. Even in this case, we believe sending humanitarian economic aids and reconstruction assistance is a more effective means than dispatching combat troops.

Iraq questions including the issue of dispatching more troops must be approached with a view to ending the tragedy of Iraq and not from the perspective of the US government. Having gone along with the US invasion of Iraq, Korea too cannot be completely free from taking responsibility of the tragedy of Iraq. Therefore, the Korean government must begin to search for a new role so that it may contribute to the alleviation of the Iraqi people's sufferings and the immediate establishment of democracy in Iraq for the people of Iraq, not for the US. Korea must abandon even the idea of sending additional troops and instead work for the restoration of international law and the return of peace in Iraq. At the minimum, the Korean government must clearly and immediately turn down Washington's request for combat troops.

Your signature ( your name, position, name of your organisation, and your country and city)

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