The secretaries general of the Liberal Democratic Party and its ruling coalition partner New Komeito left Sunday for Iraq to check the security situation in Samawah, where Self-Defense Forces troops are based for reconstruction work.

Tsutomu Takebe of the LDP and Tetsuzo Fuyushiba of New Komeito also plan to sound out local opinion about the troops' presence, according to the parties.

Their trip comes before the Cabinet's expected decision Friday to extend the Iraq deployment of about 600 troops beyond the Dec. 14 expiration date.