SEOUL, South Korea: South Korea, one of the largest U.S.-led coalition partners in Iraq, is preparing a plan to pull its troops out of the country, a Defense Ministry official said Friday.

"We're drawing up a mission termination plan and will submit it to the National Assembly in June," the official said on condition of anonymity, citing policy.

The official declined to give details, such as when the unpopular deployment could end.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, on a visit to Seoul, said in an interview with the Hangyoreh newspaper that he believes South Korea could start withdrawing its troops "in the near future."

South Korea, a key U.S. ally in Asia, began its troop presence in Iraq in 2003 with a 600-strong contingent.

It sent 3,000 more troops the following year at Washington's request, making it the United States' biggest coalition partner after Britain.

However, the troop levels have since gradually declined amid rising public opposition to the mission. Calls for withdrawing the troops reached their peak when Islamic insurgents beheaded a South Korean civilian working in Iraq in June 2004, after Seoul rejected demands to withdraw its forces.

South Korea now has about 1,300 troops in Iraq.

In December, the National Assembly approved the extension of the deployment for another year, on the condition that the government draws up a troop pullout plan this year.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/13/...Iraq-Troops.php

The hell with Iraq, it's America's mess.

they think of a plan to withdraw right after signing a deal with iraq to develop a big oil block and signing reconstruction MoUs. coincedence?

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/Engnews/20...12183322E9.html

its not suprising. george bush is a fu-king retard.

Islamic insurgents or Mossad did the beheading?

http://www.talkaboutinvestments.com/group/...ges/212286.html

Who's the biggest idiot?

The idiot or the one who follows the idiot?

Right, because Mossad, one of THE most effective intelligence group in the community, is stupid enough to pull a mistake that's detectable by TV-watching AG, right?

Right, Mossad/Israel have never been caught doing a false flag operation, have they - the Lavon Affair, USS Liberty, King David Hotel bombing.

Mossad - smart? Well, maybe - when compared to some people.