S. Korea to withdraw troops from Iraq in December-spokesman

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: South Korea will withdraw troops from Iraq in December,  a defense official said on Wednesday, ending the deployment of what was once the third largest foreign force in the war-torn country. Seoul sent 3.600 troops with a one-year mandate in 2004, and extended the deployment four times. The number in the contingent, known as Zaytune (olive) has been cut to 650. “In Early december, the Zaytun unit will hand over its mission to U.S. troops and start pulling out of Iraq,” said Defense Ministry spokesman Won Tae-Jae. “The withdrawal will be complete around December 20. The government will take various measures to ensure that the positive effect of the deployment will last,” he said. The engineering and medical unit has suffered no battle casualties. It is based around the Kurdish city of Arbil and has built 61 schools, 15 medical care centers, 87 irrigation facilities, and 82 other facilities for public use. Free medical services have provided to more than 87.000 people. South Korea’s Parliament last December approved a one-year extension on condition the troops were pulled out by December this year. AM (S)/SR 1