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23 September, 2004
Korea Times
By Yoo Dong-ho






A Zaytun Unit military convoy arrives in the Kurdish-controlled northern Iraqi town of Irbil on Sept. 6. / Courtesy of the Defense Ministry



The last batch of South Korean troops on Wednesday arrived in the northern Iraqi town of Irbil, completing the deployment of the 2,800-strong main body of Iraq-bound forces, the Defense Ministry announced.

Ending a 50-day-long operation codenamed ``Pabalma (messenger horse),’’ the South Koreans troops successfully touched down in the Kurdish-controlled northern Iraqi town, about 350 kilometers north of Baghdad.

South Korea began dispatching the unit, dubbed ``Zaytun’’ or ``olive’’ in Arabic, to help rebuild war-torn Irbil on Aug. 3 amid mounting fears of terror attacks.

After a month-long stay at U.S. Camp Virginia in Kuwait for orientation, the Zaytun unit was relocated in phases more than 1,115 kilometers to Irbil from early last month.

``About 1,280 troops were airlifted by U.S. aircraft from Kuwait while 1,170 forces were carried overland in convoy with U.S. armed forces stationed in Iraq,’’ a high-ranking ministry official said.

``Though a couple of explosives were found on the convoy’s way to Irbil, they were successfully removed by U.S. reconnaissance forces,’’ the official said.

The 2,800-member force includes 295 medics and engineers, who had been working in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriya.

An additional 800 South Korean troops will be redeployed to the region after the main contingent levels the ground and builds military barracks and security facilities.

South Korean media outlets have been refraining from reporting details of the timetable for the troop deployment for safety reasons at the request of the Defense Ministry.

Seoul has been stressing that the troop dispatch is designed to help rehabilitate war-devastated Iraq and has no hostile intent, in an attempt to prevent anti-Korean sentiment in the Middle East. South Korean national Kim Sun-il was abducted and beheaded by Islamic militants in Iraq this June.

The completion of the troop realignment will make South Korea the third largest contributor of troops to the U.S.

The Zaytun unit was established on Feb. 23 and is composed of about 3,000 soldiers, including highly trained elite forces and Arabic translators, who were selected among volunteers earlier this year.

Their departure was repeatedly delayed due to the changing domestic situation and worsening security conditions in Iraq.



yoodh@koreatimes.co.kr