Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Wednesday that Japan need not ask the United States to show restraint in dealing with the Sunni Muslim insurgents to help win the release of three Japanese hostages in Iraq.
However, he said the hostage incident is "closely related" to the fighting in Fallujah between American troops and Sunni insurgents.
During a one-on-one debate with opposition leaders in the House of Councilors, Democratic Party of Japan leader Naoto Kan told Koizumi that Japan should demand that the U.S. exercise restraint in Fallujah. Kan said the local security situation has worsened since the U.S. launched a sweep of Sunni insurgents in response to the murder of four U.S. civilians in March.