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South Korean MPs vote to extend Iraq troop deployment
South Koreas parliament voted Friday to keep troops in Iraq for one more year, a move aimed at cementing the alliance with the United States in the face of North Koreas nuclear ambitions.The MPs endorsed a government proposal to extend the contingents stay until December 2008 but to halve the size of the force to about 650, a spokesman for the National Assembly said. The force reduction has already taken place, with about 600 troops returning home over the past few weeks. The remaining 650 will stay for one more year, the defence ministry said. President Roh Moo-Hyun had called in October for the troops to continue their reconstruction and medical mission for another year. Posted by: Fred 2007-12-29 |
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