ID :
24678
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 18:55
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/24678
The shortlink copeid
Seoul to send officials to Somali waters for study on troop dispatch
SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean team is expected to depart for Somali waters as early as this month to evaluate whether dispatching naval troops there would effectively thwart abduction attempts by pirates, an official said Wednesday.
Eight South Koreans and 13 Myanmarese crew members aboard a South Korean
freighter remain in captivity, more than a month after their ship was seized by
Somali pirates.
"A discussion is under way among related government offices to decide whether to
dispatch a naval warship to Somali waters," said Col. Park Hee-cheol, director of
the International Security Cooperation Bureau at the Defense Ministry.
"There is a consensus now (among government offices) on the need to dispatch a
field inspection team to decide whether to dispatch troops," he told reporters.
Park, however, later said sending the inspection team was not only aimed at
deciding whether to dispatch troops, adding that troop dispatch was only one of
many possible measures currently being considered.
The ministry official said the team's size or departure date has not been set,
but noted that it will visit naval commands of countries operating in the area,
including the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
Over 170 commercial and private ships have been seized by Somali pirates since
2005, according to reports, while a number of South Korean-registered vessels
have also fallen prey to ransom-seeking insurgents in recent years.
"Sending a warship to the area could significantly help reduce abduction attempts
on South Korean ships as it will become part of a large international task force
in the area," a Navy official said, asking not to be identified due to the
sensitivity of the issue.
Some 20 nations -- including the United States, Australia, Britain and Germany --
currently maintain a permanent naval presence in Somali waters.
Meanwhile, Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Jun Ok-keun said on Tuesday that if a warship
is dispatched to Somalia, it must be accompanied by a helicopter and
counter-terrorism forces.
Eight South Koreans and 13 Myanmarese crew members aboard a South Korean
freighter remain in captivity, more than a month after their ship was seized by
Somali pirates.
"A discussion is under way among related government offices to decide whether to
dispatch a naval warship to Somali waters," said Col. Park Hee-cheol, director of
the International Security Cooperation Bureau at the Defense Ministry.
"There is a consensus now (among government offices) on the need to dispatch a
field inspection team to decide whether to dispatch troops," he told reporters.
Park, however, later said sending the inspection team was not only aimed at
deciding whether to dispatch troops, adding that troop dispatch was only one of
many possible measures currently being considered.
The ministry official said the team's size or departure date has not been set,
but noted that it will visit naval commands of countries operating in the area,
including the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
Over 170 commercial and private ships have been seized by Somali pirates since
2005, according to reports, while a number of South Korean-registered vessels
have also fallen prey to ransom-seeking insurgents in recent years.
"Sending a warship to the area could significantly help reduce abduction attempts
on South Korean ships as it will become part of a large international task force
in the area," a Navy official said, asking not to be identified due to the
sensitivity of the issue.
Some 20 nations -- including the United States, Australia, Britain and Germany --
currently maintain a permanent naval presence in Somali waters.
Meanwhile, Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Jun Ok-keun said on Tuesday that if a warship
is dispatched to Somalia, it must be accompanied by a helicopter and
counter-terrorism forces.
