1.00pm
SEOUL - The United States plans to withdraw an army brigade based in South Korea and deploy the 4000 troops in Iraq, the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported on Monday.
Washington had recently notified Seoul of the plan, which left open the possibility that the brigade would not return to South Korea
after its mission in Iraq, the paper quoted a South Korean government official as saying.
"The United States did not specify the date but only sent word that the deployment would be within weeks," the official said.
"It is not certain whether the 2nd Infantry Division brigade will be redeployed in Korea or elsewhere after its mission in Iraq," the official added
The 2nd Infantry Division is based south of the heavily militarised border with communist North Korea.
A foreign ministry official confirmed that Washington had raised the issue of moving some troops to Iraq and the two governments were discussing the plan. He did not elaborate.
The US administration has been reviewing a cut in the US military presence in Korea.
South Korea has delayed the deployment of 3000 of its troops to Iraq, which was approved three months ago, amid concerns over security and where they will be stationed.
A diplomatic source in Seoul said the US plan to pull 4000 of its troops out of Korea for deployment in Iraq was not intended to put additional pressure on South Korea.
The United States has 37,000 troops stationed in South Korea to deter aggression from the communist north and the 2nd Infantry Division with its 14,000 soldiers is the most forward deployed.
South Korea and the United States are in ongoing negotiations over reorienting the US military presence in Korea and have agreed to move most of the troops based in Seoul and those north of the capital to south of the capital.
- REUTERS
Herald Feature: Iraq
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