Japan: Iraq Mission A Success
Josephine Roque - All Headline News Staff Writer Tokyo, Japan (AHN) - The Japanese defense chief claims that Iraq mission was a success. It will serve as an example for future missions. Tokyo announced it will pull out its 600 troops in the next two months. They're doing a humanitarian mission in the southern Iraqi city of Samawah. "We met our objectives," Defense Minister Fukushiro Nukaga told The Associated Press. "The Iraqis are ready to resume control again." The mission, is part of Tokyo's strategy to step into a greater international diplomatic and military role. "Our efforts have been praised by both local authorities and by coalition members," Nukaga told the AP. "I think we can call it a success." The sent troops are on a non-combat mission, aiding in purifying water, repairing schools, patching up roads and strengthening medical services. So far, 100 kilometers (60 miles) of road were repaired by the troops. They also restored two-thirds of the local schools. "Because of the dirty water in Samawah the infant death rate was very high," Nukaga told the AP. "That has dropped by two-thirds since 2002." There has been no casualties in the Japanese contingency since their stay. The AP reports that a survey indicated that nearly half of the Japanese believe deploying the troops was "good" for Japan. About 49 percent of the 1,965 respondents to an Asahi newspaper poll said the deployment h |
