 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Last Japanese troops return from Iraq
Somahara Base, Japan (AFP) Jul 25, 2006 Family members waved Japanese flags and applauded as 42 soldiers returned by bus at Somahara Base in Gunma prefecture northwest of Tokyo. "We are proud of the humble work we achieved in Iraq that contributed to reconstruction efforts there," Lieutenant Colonel Takayuki Mishima, 46, said as he arrived. Mishima's unit was among 280 ground troops who flew into Tokyo early Tuesday on a chartered plane, bringing to a close the mission which at its height comprised 600 soldiers. The mission marked the first time that Japanese troops went to a country where fighting was under way since the end of World War II, when the United States forced Tokyo to renounce war. The troops -- who suffered no casualties and never even fired their weapons -- helped reconstruct the relatively peaceful southern province of Muthanna, building water supply facilities and providing medical assistance. "I'm relieved to see his face in front of me," said Terumi Homa, 23, as she greeted her husband Koei. "Whenever I heard news of mortars near their station, I worried terribly," she said. The landmark mission was widely seen as a way for Japan to prove itself to be more than purely an economic power. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, a close friend of US President George W. Bush, went ahead with the deployment despite domestic opposition. "I'm glad to see everybody come back safely. The mission was highly praised by Iraq and the world. I would like them to work hard in the future by using this experience," Koizumi told reporters in Tokyo. Koizumi has sought to break more post-World War II taboos by proposing to revise the US-imposed 1947 constitution to recognize that Japan has a military -- now euphemistically named the Self-Defense Forces. Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, a conservative who is the front-runner to succeed Koizumi in September, hailed the Iraq mission. "We will firmly contribute to activities by the international community to support the Iraqi people's effort in the reconstruction of Iraq," Abe said. The Japanese mission based in Muthanna's capital Samawa relied on British, Australian and Dutch troops for protection as the Japanese troops were barred from using force. "I myself never went outside of the station in Samawa but I heard from thse who did that their assignments required close attention," said Mishima, the lieutenant colonel. "They were nervous, which is different from during their assignments in Japan," he said. Japan learnt a bitter lesson from the US-led Gulf War in 1991, when it came in for heavy international criticism for not sending personnel despite paying 13.5 billion dollars, or 20 percent, of the coalition bill. Japan has since expanded its military role, taking part in UN forces in Cambodia and East Timor and dispatching a 1,000-strong force -- its largest since World War II -- to Indonesia and Thailand after the 2004 tsunami disaster. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters When the Earth Quakes A world of storm and tempest
Final batch of Japanese troops returns from Iraq
Tokyo (AFP) Jul 25, 2006 The final batch of Japanese troops returned home from Iraq on Tuesday, ending the nation's most significant military operation since World War II, officials said. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
