Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi gave the final go-ahead Monday for the main contingent of Ground Self-Defense Force troops to be deployed to Iraq.
The move paves the way for a full-fledged Japanese military deployment aimed at helping to rebuild the war-ravaged nation.
With Koizumi's nod, Defense Agency chief Shigeru Ishiba later ordered the GSDF to dispatch an estimated 520 troops to the southern Iraqi city of Samawah.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.