The government finalized the order Friday to end the Air Self-Defense Force's airlift mission in the Middle East, terminating a nearly five-year Japanese military presence in Iraq.

This means Tokyo, which supported the United States decision to invade Iraq in 2003 and sent Ground Self-Defense Force troops to help with reconstruction under the protection of other nations' militaries, is likely to exit the area without a single casualty. The first ASDF airmen arrived in January 2004.

The ASDF has a unit of C-130H transports ferrying personnel and supplies between its duty base in Kuwait and Iraq for the United Nations and multinational forces there.