Defense Ministry Wants to Extend Zaytun Mission in Iraq

The Korean government for some reason seems intent on keeping the Zaytun unit in Iraq for whatever reason:

The Korean military¿s Zaytun Unit stationed in the Northern Iraqi town of Irbil has decreased by 890 troops since its original deployment, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced Wednesday. Additional cuts of about 100 will bring their number down to 2,300. With their mission also to end in December, the Defense Ministry is looking into submitting a bill to the National Assembly to extend their peace-building mandate there.

Troops of the U.S.-led coalition will most likely remain in Iraq next year, and the Ministry of Defense is investigating how to keep the remaining Zaytun troops there until late 2007. A contingent of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force conducting reconstruction work over the last two-and-a-half years in the southern Iraqi city Samawah was completely withdrawn last month.

Send them home already, you can only install toilets for so long.