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| Korea |
| N Korea slams Seoul troop decision |
| 2003-04-03 |
| Edited for length North Korea has slammed a decision by Seoul to send non-combat troops to the Persian Gulf as a show of support for the U.S.-led war on Iraq. North Korean state-run TV on Thursday described the move as a "criminal act" that would heighten tensions on the Korean peninsula, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. South Korea's parliament on Wednesday narrowly passed a bill allowing 700 technical and medical personnel to be sent to the war zone after a personal appeal to legislators by newly elected President Roh Moo-hyun to pass the measure. Outside parliament, thousands of anti-war protestors battled police in a bid to disrupt the decision and show their displeasure at the move. North Korea described the protests as "righteous and patriotic" because sending troops to Iraq meant "supporting U.S. ambitions to invade North Korea... It is an act of crime further endangering the situation on the peninsula." That's pretty mild for them In contrast, President Roh said the deployment would strengthen the U.S.-South Korean alliance, thereby helping to peacefully resolve the current tensions with North Korea. "I came to the conclusion that helping the United States in difficult times and maintaining friendly U.S.-South Korean relations will help a lot in peacefully resolving the North Korean nuclear issue." Thank you, every little bit helps. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 Concluded? Might be instructive to follow his reasoning. |
| Posted by: Michael 2003-04-03 09:42:58 |