The Ground Self-Defense Force reconstruction assistance mission in Iraq needs to be extended by at least six months past its Dec. 14 expiration, a government source has said.
"At least half a year will be necessary," the source said Tuesday night. He cited the need for Japan to keep watch on Iraq's security situation through March, given the approval of the Iraqi draft constitution in the October referendum, and said the withdrawal process will take another three months after Japan decides to pull its GSDF troops out.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will make the final decision in December on whether to extend the mission, and if so, the period of the extension, the source said.
On Wednesday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said the government will make a decision after judging the overall situation in Iraq.
"There are factors, such as Iraq's current situation and Japan's international cooperation, that need to be considered. We must make an appropriate judgment after considering progress in Iraq's reconstruction and political process as a whole," Abe said in a regular news conference.
The GSDF has played an important role in the international community, he added.
Japan passed a special law in August 2003, five months after the United States attacked Iraq, to support the reconstruction of Iraq and began deploying Self-Defense Forces elements there in early 2004.
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