Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Tuesday the government will carefully consider whether to dispatch staff to the U.S.-led administration of occupied Iraq.

"We do not have a clear picture of the structure of the body," Fukuda said. "We will decide how we will be involved in it after further study."

According to the Foreign Ministry, there are no legal restraints on sending Japanese civilians to assist the organization -- called the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, a unit of the U.S. Defense Department -- as long as it does not engage in military operations.

However, the dispatch of Japanese to areas affected by wars is a politically sensitive issue because Japan's Constitution renounces war.

Fukuda said the conflict is continuing and that the government will make its decision after watching developments.

Foreign Ministry officials have said the ORHA is now a civilian organization, but its structure and activities are still unclear.

Education minister Atsuko Toyama said separately that Japan will prevent the importation of looted Iraqi antiques and her ministry will issue notices by the end of this week to museums across the country to turn down any offers to acquire looted treasures.

Iraq is home to the remains of the ancient Mesopotamian cities of Babylon, Ur and Nineveh, and has a rich archaeological heritage.

Numerous antiques were looted from the National Museum of Iraq following the occupation of Baghdad by the U.S. and the fall of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.