Japan's main ASDF unit leaves for Kuwait

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, January 23, 2004

Japan's main ASDF unit leaves for Kuwait

Japan's first main Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) unit departed Thursday afternoon for Kuwait on humanitarian mission in Iraq.

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Japan's first main Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) unit departed Thursday afternoon for Kuwait on humanitarian mission in Iraq.

The ASDF unit, consisting of about 100 members, left the Komakibase in Aichi Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo.

Aboard a government plane, the troops are expected to arrive inKuwait Friday and join an advance contingent of around 40 which was sent last month.

A spearhead belonging to the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) is in Iraq's southern city of Samawah to assess security situationand make preparations for major GSDF dispatch.

Japan is expected to send three C-130 military transport planesalong with the rest 60 or so members as early as next week to shuttle humanitarian goods and personnel between Kuwait and Iraq.

Japan passed a special law in July, authorizing dispatch of troops to Iraq for humanitarian mission which includes providing medical services and refurbishing public facilities.

The law limited the troops' operations in non-combat areas, butcritics argue that there is literally no such a place as insurgentattacks have been haunting the US-led forces since the end of major combat on May 1, 2003.

Rising ground-air-missile attacks on US aircraft recently also fueled concern about the safety of the ASDF operation. Defense Agency Director General Shigeru Ishiba has said the ASDF is well prepared to deal with such attacks.

According to the operation plan, Japan will eventually send some 1,000 air, ground and maritime forces to Iraq and surroundingcountries. The mission will be active until the end of this year.

Source: Xinhua

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