Government leaders said security measures need to be bolstered for Ground Self-Defense Force personnel in Samawah following the death of a Dutch soldier there, but denied that the southern Iraqi city is no longer safe enough for the Japanese troops to operate.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said, "I have ordered that full safety measures be maintained."
"I think we should tighten our guard," Chief Cabinet Secretary Horoyuki Hosoda told a news conference, and Defense Agency Director General Shigeru Ishiba said, "New steps are probable when the situation becomes clear."