The government was right to flatly reject the demand from Islamic hostage-takers last month that Japan withdraw its troops immediately from Iraq. That resolute response was supported by most Japanese, boosting Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's popularity ratings. Yet, as security in Iraq continues to deteriorate, more and more people appear to be getting uneasy about the troop deployment.

Opinion polls show high levels of public support for Japanese efforts to help rebuild Iraq, but that support does not automatically translate to endorsement of the deployment. The hostage crisis highlighted the perils of doing peaceful work in a country at war, prompting many to question anew the wisdom of sending the Self-Defense Forces to a combat zone.

The current security situation in Iraq flies in the face of U.S. President George W. Bush's triumphant statement a year ago that "major combat operations" were over. Japan has sent about 550 troops to southern Iraq, based on a government analysis that the region was "relatively safe." The dispatch is supported by a majority of Japanese, yet the public mood could change quickly if troops suffer casualties.