Japanese Troops Begin Their Controversial Mission in Iraq
The first contingent of Japan’s main army deployment to Iraq arrived at its camp Sunday to take part in Tokyo’s most controversial and risky military mission since World War II.
About 80 members of the Self-Defense Forces arrived in the southern town of Samawah, where they will build a base for up to 1,000 Japanese troops.
“We have come to help rebuild Iraq,” the head of Sunday’s contingent, Col. Yasushi Kiyota, said after the convoy of jeeps, trucks and armored vehicles pulled into the base.
There is much concern in Japan about the safety of troops in Iraq to help reconstruction. Any casualties could have serious political consequences for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
Japanese troops have not fired a shot in combat since 1945, and the Iraq mission has been criticized by some as a violation of the country’s pacifist constitution. The troops are to use their weapons only in self-defense.
The mission was made possible by a law passed in July that limits military activity to “noncombat zones,” a murky concept in Iraq, where there are daily attacks on U.S. and allied forces.
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