- SEOUL, South Korea (Reuters)
-- North Korea accused its southern rival on Sunday of "an unpardonable
act" for even considering Washington's request for Seoul to contribute
combat troops for active service in Iraq.
-
- Although South Korea has not yet committed to any deployment,
a spokesman for the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of
the Fatherland said any such move could affect the whole peninsular.
-
- "Their moves for the troop dispatch to Iraq is a
serious issue directly related to the dignity, interests and honor of the
entire Korean nation," the spokesman was quoted as saying by the official
KCNA news agency.
-
- He demanded South Korea unconditionally drop any plan
to send combat troops to Iraq, dismissing it as "a reckless plan to
sacrifice Koreans in the proxy war of the United States."
-
- In South Korea, however, the chances of combat troops
being sent to Iraq are looking more likely.
-
- A local newspaper said on Saturday that Washington and
Seoul were discussing details of the size and location of the possible
deployment and that talks were proceeding well.
-
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