hankyoreh

The precious life of a young man has been lost in a terrorist bombing in Afghanistan. May 27-year-old Army Sgt. Yoon Jang-ho, who was in the prime of his life, rest in peace. We offer our deepest condolences to his family.

On the occasion of the death of Sergeant Yoon, we should take the time to ask ourselves why he had to become the victim of terrorism in a distant land. In its official announcement, the government stressed that the Korean military was not the intended target of the bombing. However, Korean troops operating overseas, such as Yoon’s unit or our troops in Iraq, essentially depend on American forces for their safety, so that means our troops remain at risk of terrorist attack aimed at troops from the United States.

What is even more important at this point is the question of whether the American-led so-called "war on terror" in Afghanistan and Iraq is legitimate. The U.S. invaded Afghanistan following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 because it had provided refuge to al Qaida, and it toppled the Taliban government there. Its oppressive occupation policy since has lasted six years and has made the people of that country turn against U.S. forces and has actually strengthened the Taliban. The Taliban abandoned the capital of Kabul and went into hiding in the region along the border with Pakistan. Since last year, the Taliban has waged an all-out guerilla war and suicide bombing campaign, and it is threatening to go on a suicide bombing offensive this spring, using around 2,000 suicide bombing teams. The security situation in Afghanistan is so weak that even U.S. intelligence officials are saying that over the long run, unless the Taliban’s base in Pakistan is removed, it is unlikely the Taliban threat can be eliminated either.

The situation in Iraq is far more serious than in Afghanistan. There are suicide bombings daily, and now even the Shi’ites, who have been cooperating with the U.S., are calling for American forces to leave, saying their presence is only making matters worse. Given the situation, Korea needs to give serious thought as to whether the Korean military should continue to support the U.S.-led occupation forces when they are not recognized as legitimate. The Korean government has continued to ignore calls for withdrawal coming from all sectors of society, all the while invoking its obligations to the U.S.-Korea alliance. However, being true to your duties as a true member of the alliance means making the U.S. listen to the views of the international community and not blindly following the U.S. around while having to put up with international criticism. The government needs to immediately start the process of withdrawing our soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan.


Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]