The government has not decided whether to take steps to protect Iraq-bound Self-Defense Forces troops against radiation contamination suspected to have been caused by U.S. and British forces, Defense Agency chief Shigeru Ishiba said Friday.
"We are not at the stage of telling you" whether the government will take protective measures against radiation, Ishiba said, although he vowed that the agency will take all possible measures to protect the SDF.
Under the special law allowing the SDF dispatch to Iraq, Ishiba is responsible for ensuring the safety of all Japanese military personnel in the country.