Defense Agency chief Shigeru Ishiba told his American counterpart, Donald Rumsfeld, that Japan remains committed to a plan to send Self-Defense Forces personnel to Iraq at an early date, although he would not be drawn on a specific timetable.
"We would like to carry out our responsibility as a member of international society by making use of the SDF's ability as early as possible," Ishiba said Saturday in a joint news conference following an hourlong meeting with Rumsfeld.
His comments came on the same day as the government sent another fact-finding team of about 10 SDF officers to Samawah, southern Iraq.