Japan ends milestone Iraq military mission
21 June, 2006
TOKYO: Japan on Tuesday ordered its 600 troops to leave Iraq, ending its first military mission since World War II to a country where fighting is under way. The pullout brings closure to one of the signature but domestically unpopular policies of outgoing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, which was seen as a way to exert Japanese influence beyond that of an economic power. “After closely consulting with the United States, the multinational forces, Britain and Australia, I made the decision because I judged that the humanitarian mission has completed a certain achievement in the region,” Koizumi, who steps down in September, told a news conference. The troops were given immediate orders to arrange for their withdrawal, defense chief Fukushiro Nukaga said. Media reports said the last troops were expected to return by late July. But Nukaga said the Japanese air force would remain active in Iraq, transporting goods and personnel to Baghdad for the US-led coalition. The troop mission, which has helped reconstruct the relatively peaceful area around the southern city of Samawa since January 2004, is the first of its kind since Japan was forced by the United States to renounce war after World War II. “Including this deployment, the activities of the Self-Defense Forces around the world have helped improve Japan’s brand image,” Foreign Minister Taro Aso said. Analysts said it was no coincidence Japan was exiting now, as the troops could expect a riskier mission without Western forces around them. “The government has been extremely worried about casualties during the deployment, so it must be truly relieved to withdraw now,” said Hideo Otake, professor of politics at Kyoto University. Koizumi, who visits the United States next week on a farewell tour, strongly backed President George W Bush’s decision to invade Iraq and has bolstered cooperation with Washington since becoming premier in April 2001. He defended his stance Tuesday. “We are engaged in international cooperation keeping the importance of the Japan-US alliance in mind, we are engaged in international cooperation. This is our important policy now and in the future,” Koizumi said. “But it is also important in that it made another case for the troops’ activities outside the framework of self-defense,” he said. Despite its growing military role, Japan has still used aid as a top instrument of foreign policy, pledging five billion dollars in grants and loans to rebuild Iraq.
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