Japan to give up plan to send troops to Iraq this year

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, November 13, 2003

Japan to give up plan to send troops to Iraq this year

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Japan is set to give up a plan to dispatch Self Defense Forces (SDF) troops to Iraq to help rebuild the country by the end of the year due to the deteriorating security situation, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Thursday.

"We could send the SDF there if circumstances permit. But thereis no such situation," the top government spokesman told a press conference, referring to an incident Wednesday in Nasiriya, southern Iraq, in which at least 18 Italian troops were killed.

Japan has been planning to send SDF troops to areas in southernIraq where the security situation is considered to be relatively better than that in and around Baghdad.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi also said earlier that a plan to send Japanese troops to Iraq will not be finalized as quickly as anticipated mainly due to the deteriorating securitysituation there.

He reiterated that his government has not decided on the details of a plan to send SDF personnel to Iraq to help reconstruction of the war-torn country.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Why Japanese PM Proposes Amending Constitution Now

Japan to start preparation for dispatch of SDF to Iraq

Japanese FM: dispatch of SDF to Iraq safe

Is English invading Chinese culture? ( 20 Messages)

Chinese fleet visit heart of US forces in the Pacific ( 15 Messages)

Global survey: Chinese women sexiest ( 56 Messages)

Economist: China has no need to worry about possible trade deficits ( 3 Messages)

Japanese students, teacher make apology in Xi'an ( 17 Messages)

China expects to see trade deficit in near future: official ( 9 Messages)