U.S. Allies Pay Heavy Price for Involvement in Iraq

News, November 2003, www.aljazeerah.info

Sun November 30, 2003 11:41 AM ET

By Andrew Marshall BAGHDAD (Reuters) -

A dozen people from four nations helping the U.S. military were killed on a bloody weekend in Iraq that sparked new debate among Washington's allies about the benefits of getting involved.

In all, 14 deaths -- of two South Koreans, seven Spaniards, two Japanese and a Colombian as well as two American soldiers -- rounded off the bloodiest month for the occupying forces since the U.S. invasion to oust Saddam Hussein in March.

U.S. combat losses total 74 for November alone and 301 for the whole campaign. The month also saw heavy losses among other U.S. allies, notably 19 Italians killed in a suicide bombing.

Soldiers and civilians from about a dozen allied nations have now been killed in Iraq, in addition to Americans and Iraqis and employees of international organizations, aid agencies and media operating independently of the U.S. forces.

The two South Koreans, believed to be electricity workers, were killed on Sunday when their convoy was shot up outside Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said. Two others were wounded. A day earlier, seven Spanish intelligence agents, two Japanese diplomats and a Colombian civilian working for the U.S. armed forces were killed.

The U.S. military in Iraq said three civilians of unspecified nationality were killed in an attack near Tikrit in what appeared to be the incident involving the Koreans.

They died on the same highway as two Japanese diplomats who were gunned down by the roadside as they bought food at a stall. The diplomats' Iraqi driver was also killed.

The Japanese, South Korean and Spanish governments now all face serious questions over their commitments to help the United States after it attacked Iraq and ousted Saddam in the face of opposition from many key United Nations allies.

TOUGH DECISIONS

President Roh Moo-hyun has committed to sending more South Korean troops to Iraq in addition to 675 medics and military engineers deployed since May. But he has yet to make the politically sensitive decision whether to include combat forces in the expected 3,000-strong contingent.

In Spain, Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar remained defiant despite calls for him to recall the 1,300 Spanish troops helping to control south-central Iraq.

"We are where we have to be and we will not leave the victims of terrorism, here or there, to their fate," said Aznar, who defied public opinion to back President Bush. "We will fulfil our commitments with loyalty and serenity," Aznar told the nation in a televised address.

As the dead were flown home to Madrid, opposition socialists put aside their stiff objections to the war to join the outpouring of sorrow. Other opposition parties demanded the resignation of the defense minister and a troop withdrawal.

"Spain pays a high price," the left-leaning newspaper El Pais said in an editorial. The El Mundo daily described the killings as: "Deaths which require explanations and reflection."

SOME IRAQIS REJOICE

Guerrillas opened fire with guns and rocket-propelled grenades on the Spanish convoy, and witnesses said a crowd then descended on the crippled vehicles, kicking the corpses and shouting slogans in support of fugitive dictator Saddam Hussein.

On Sunday morning, youths were jumping on the wreckage and pulling apart one burned-out car.

"We're happy about what happened," said 20-year-old Abdul Qader, a student. "We don't like the Americans or the Spanish."

In Japan, political analysts say Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi risks a serious blow to his popularity if troops are sent to Iraq and deaths occur, an especially unwelcome prospect with an election for parliament's Upper House set for next July.

But Koizumi said on Sunday that Japan, which is still reviewing plans to send some forces, would not be deterred.

"Japan must not give in to terrorism. We will firmly carry out our responsibilities for humanitarian aid and reconstruction. There is no change in this," he told reporters.

"Why does this kind of thing happen? I am furious."

Japan's plans to send troops were put on hold earlier this month after a suicide attack on an Italian base in the southern Iraqi town of Nassiriya killed 19 Italians and nine Iraqis in the deadliest attack so far on multinational forces in Iraq. Japan has passed a special law to enable it to send troops to Iraq, but in line with the nation's pacifist constitution, they can only be sent to "non-combat zones" and must take part only in reconstruction and humanitarian work.

The two U.S. soldiers were killed on Saturday near the Syrian border by attackers firing assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, while the Colombian contractor was shot in an ambush on his convoy near Balad, north of Baghdad.

Since Bush declared major combat over on May 1, 187 American soldiers have been killed in action in Iraq, putting pressure on the president to accelerate handing control of the country back to Iraqis ahead of his own bid for re-election a year from now. (Additional reporting by Luke Baker in Latifiya, Dean Yates in Tikrit, Emma Graham-Harrison in Madrid and Linda Sieg and Masayuki Kitano in Tokyo)

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank, like a Python (Alquds, 1/25/03.

Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah's.

editor@aljazeerah.info