Former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, head of the largest internal faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, indirectly rapped LDP Secretary General Taku Yamasaki on Thursday for discussing Japan's contributions to postwar Iraq, including the dispatch of Self-Defense Forces elements for possible U.N.-led peacekeeping missions.
"Just tell me if anybody even knows how much the postwar reconstruction of Iraq will cost. Some people have said (Japan) should shoulder about 20 percent of (the financial burden)," Hashimoto told his faction.
He also said it is too early to discuss dispatching the SDF on postwar-Iraq missions, saying it would "risk the lives" of military personnel.