Koizumi says Iraqis want SDF troops to stay

Daily Times ^ | 10/13/04 | staff

[Perdogg]

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said on Tuesday that Iraqis wanted Japan to keep its troops in the country, amid opposition criticism that the war was discredited after the failure to find weapons of mass destruction.

“Helping them with reconstruction efforts, the Self Defence Forces are appreciated by local residents as the troops are carrying out the Japanese people’s goodwill,” Koizumi told lawmakers as parliament convened.

“Iraqi Prime Minister (Iyad) Allawi appreciates our country’s humanitarian and reconstruction assistance and asked us to continue our activity as we met last month,” he said, noting that Tokyo would host a two-day donors’ meeting from Wednesday.

Koizumi, a close ally of US President George W Bush, made no reference to a report last week by the chief US arms inspector that found Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction at the time of the 2003 US-led invasion. Opposition parties have vowed to grill Koizumi during the 53-day session of parliament, calling the premier’s support for the war discredited as he had said he believed inspectors would find weapons of mass destruction.

Koizumi said last week that Japan’s support for the war “has been in line with UN resolutions.”

Japan sent its troops, known as the Self Defence Forces, to Iraq in December on a humanitarian mission in its first military deployment to a country of active fighting since World War II. A weekend report by the Sankei Shimbun newspaper said Japan was considering expanding its deployment in Iraq by around 400 soldiers to about 1,000 in a bid to beef up security.

Koizumi referred to Japan’s growing role abroad in pitching for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. “Japan is capable of participating in decision-making of the Security Council and playing a major role in world peace and stability as we have earnestly engaged in reconstruction assistance and peacekeeping operations abroad,” Koizumi told parliament. He said the government would draw up new defence guidelines this year to better cope with terrorism and other new threats. Islamist militant groups have threatened to target Japan for its support of the Iraq war.

[DTogo]

Koizumi may be your typical career Japanese politician, but he's certainly proving himself a firm international leader on this issue.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Japan should have our seat on the Security Council.

[gogipper]

Japan should have our seat on the Security Council.

Japan should have France's seat on the Security Council.