Show t v I s The Herald Journal Logan Utah Wednesday December 24 2003 — A7 j Iraq occupation S Korea to depfoy 3000 to ' l BAGHDAD Iraq (AP) — Iraqi mobbed two American soldiers in Santa hats as they hand- - ed out stuffed animals Tuesday Not far away an Iraqi Christian woman sat in an otherwise empty church praying for peace While US troops buoyed by the capture of Saddam Hussein gear up for big Christmas celebra- turn the small community of Iraqi Christians is preparing for alo- wcongrcga- key holiday with n tions postponing midnight services T : SEOUL South Korea (AP) v — South Korea's Cabinet answered Washington’s call for help in Iraq approving a plan ‘ Tbnday to send 3000 troops to the wsr-tocountry as early as' April in a mission that would make Seoul the biggest contrib- -' utor to coalition forces after the i United States and Britain The plan deeply unpopular with the public must still win approval fiom South Korea’s National Assembly Tuesday’s Cabinet decision triggered protests in Seoul where hundreds of activists tried to tush Y the parliament building with ' banners reading “No more blood for Bush!” AP photo President Bush earlier made a ' dtatributos Term Ctarksvill WUcerson of Specialist Chad late-nig-ht phone call to thank Christmas gifts to Iraqi children in Baghdad on Tuesday for Y President Roh Moo-hyu- n pushing the new deployment in addition tp the 460 South Kore-an troops already operating in "Y:Y-Iraq v The new deployment likely to include special force -and combat-read- y marines will be solely rcspon- sible for security and recon- struction around the northern oil cityof Kirkuk said Lt Gen ' Kim Jang-so- o chief operation director at the Joint Chiefs of Staff “The US side gaVe a positive response” said Kim who returned to South Korea on Monday after discussions in r Washington to nail down ' details of thedeploy menl Roh’s Cabinet approved a ' bill late Tuesday afternoon to authorize die mission but did not have time to submit it to : ' Parliament Roh’s office had : earlier said that would be done by Wednesday All major political parties : : have indicated they will ' approve the bill' despite the mission’s unpopularity with the public South Korea already has 460 military medics and engineers ' operating in the southern Iraqi : city of Nasiriyah ni visit troops in Baghdad on Christ-childrmas Eve Not far from where Salman was praying Tuesday a pair of US soldiers were mobbed by Iraqi seen: "J- Y 'children as they handed out toys Y The church is amonpthose that Y The neighborhood is home to will hold services Christmas mom- - thousands of Iraqis living on the ing instead of on Christmas Evp as edge of the walled compound in central Baghdad that houses the customary Worshippers have been told not to bring tags for fear an coalition’s headquarters attacker could slip past with a Spc Chad Wilkerson 23 of Ybomb Clarksville Tenn swapped his “The situation is not normal it’s camouflage battle helmet for a red Santa hat as he carried a box of scary” Salman said her face framed with a gold scarf1 “But stuffed animals from a muddy 'iHumvee God is great and the Virgin Mary is with the Iraqi people” For soldiers the holiday is espe-cial- ly Further dampening the holiday festive because it comes less she said many families will not than two weeks after thb capture of Saddam ' gather for big dinners to avoid Y home return on to Near the western border with ' ' dangerhaving ous nighttime streetsYMost Iraqi Syria coalition troops dubbed an Christians belong to the Chaldean ongoing series of raids in the town Church an ancient eastern-rit- e of Rawah as “Operation Santa Catholic church Claws”' On military bases around Iraq North of Baghdad in foe city of meanwhile coalition troops were Tikrit soldiers from the US getting ready for brass bands Army’s 4th Infantry Division twhich captured Saddam—were Turkey dinnm sports matches and holiday carols David Letter- planning brass band concerts and man host of CBS’ Late Show will talent contests for Christmas ea " : ! 1 day in a 17th century stone church praying for peace Before her was a luge painted icon so weathered Y the image of the Virgin Mary hold- ingbaby Jesus could barely be ' during the crippling economic sanctions of the 1990s During that time the number Of Christians fell from more than a million as many left in search of better lives in Europe North America and else-where As a light rain fell outside ' y Nadal Salman 44 sat alone Tues-- - com-mand- os wgr -f ' j a V'-'-y--- 1-' - 1 US troops arrest Iraqi rebels v viSfi - Iff m BAGHDAD Iraq(AP) — V US forces arrested eight rebel : subjects in a stronghold of resistance northwest of Baghdadthe military said Tuesday as troops tight- ened security against possible attacks over the Christmas hol' idays " Those arrested include an ex- colonel accused of recruiting : guerrillas and four suspected Y associates offugitive former Vice President Izzat Ibrahim r who is believed to have a leading role in Iraq’s insurgency Three soldiers of the US-le- d coalition died Monday Ttoo UJ5 soldiers and im Iraqi translator were killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad A Polish soldier died when a fel- -: low soldier’s gun fired scci-dentally in Babylon south of Y Baghdad hours after a visit by Y Pound’s President Aleksander Kwasniewski' In MosuL the largestcityin northern Iraq gunmen fatally : shot a judge YoussefMurad in his car The assailants escaped South Kotea is planning to : send 3000 troops to join 460 military medicsand engineers already in Iraq media reports from Seoul said Ihesday That deployment for nine months v from April L would make the Y South Korean Contingent the Y third largest in die coalition after the United States and Britain Meanwhile President Bush Y Y was given an update on Iraq in a meeting in Washington oq Monday with L Paul Bremer die US administrator of Iraq and Defense Secretary Donald R Rumsfeld - : (V an -- & 0 ?buYoY'S ASUt'- -- bFTH6 bEMNDS I stMAS' TRUe:G'pvYv-V''Y:YAYY- :J 4 : VV-- fii NT i : -- 0U'As BRgHT YY s:ASit 'T71-- ' ' 6 -- I Y - It 'i mX‘ - Y: 1 26-nati- Y ' In TT W CactwVrtWylMI ' y - Shop WSdnralay Mb CtoredCliilatniasOaif and South Late atytr-htonP- Woa In —a wsloom Ml SatunteylM and Sunday 1MIWIDiaardloeUonfc Shop Wriay In OBdwvNwuli Mas In tHwoW Provo and ThoDlscowr your DSanraCiocS&rtTtAinorlcmEprraP Cart Dlnois Club InWmtaqnilllMlsicardfVlM Tww Cuter ' ' : 's 4 V ' - hit QofgW FtedCSW Itea Cant |