If the government extends the Ground Self-Defense Force humanitarian mission in Iraq beyond the current Dec. 14 deadline, it would aim to maintain the present deployment level of about 600 troops, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda indicated Monday.
"We are carefully examining whether it is possible to think about maintaining (troop levels) within the current framework," the top government spokesman said.
Hosoda also said the government plans to have concrete discussions on the troop extension issue starting Wednesday, when Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi returns from Laos.