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by Christian/Base21 Media Activist
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South Korea is one of dozens of countries that have received "a general request" by the United States for contribution to a possible military action against Iraq, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Thursday.

The U.S. Embassy in Korea said that Washington is talking to a number of governments, some through their embassies, for "all kinds of support." The issue may have been a topic of discussions between U.S. Ambassador Thomas Hubbard and Foreign Minister Choi Sung-hong when they met Wednesday, but the Embassy declined to comment, South Korean dayly JoongAng Ilbo reported.

Bush said earlier this week that if Saddam Hussein refused to disarm, "we will lead a coalition of the willing and disarm him." It means nothing else then to start a war against Iraq.

A senior South Korean Foreign Ministry official said the request was received "recently" but also declined to comment further on the discussions except to say they were through diplomatic channels. Seoul has yet to make a decision on whether to participate in the possible military campaign.

According to JoongAng Ilbo the Defense Ministry will be consulted, the Korean diplomat said, but he suggested that a decision on what kind and how much assistance would be provided would not be made before the outlines of a military effort to disarm Iraq became clearer. The request did not specifically mention the type of contribution sought, the official said, adding, "There was no request for any combat forces."

Officials suggested that the U.S. request is intended more as a call for a tangible display of political support than as a real contribution to the overwhelming military technology that the American military could throw into an effort to unseat Saddam Hussein and destroy weapons of mass destruction.

"Our position is in line with the U.S. position," the Foreign Ministry official said, that Iraq must disclose its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction and dismantle them. The significance of preparing for a war against Iraq, he said, is to show that threats of an attack are not merely rhetoric.

Now it's the time for the South Korean anti war movement to act against this plans and to make clear, that the Korean people don't support any kind of imperialist war politicy!