KUWAIT CITY -- Defense Agency chief Yoshinori Ono went to the southern Iraq city of Samawah on Sunday and stressed the need to extend the one-year mission of troops deployed there for humanitarian aid.
"I renewed my understanding that continuing the humanitarian aid and reconstruction activities by the Self-Defense Forces is important," Ono said in a statement.
He also said his 5 1/2-hour visit convinced him the security situation in the Samawah area is "stable."