Japan to pull out troops from Iraq

JAPAN: Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has decided to withdraw Japan's troops from Iraq, his junior coalition partner said on Tuesday, ending the military's riskiest and most ambitious overseas mission since World War Two.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Monday his forces would take over security from July in the southern province of Muthanna, where the British oversee a multinational contingent that includes Japanese troops.

Takenori Kanzaki, head of coalition partner New Komeito Party, told reporters Koizumi had informed him of the decision. Media reports said the pullout would begin as early as this month.

Japan's troop dispatch a symbol of Tokyo's willingness to put "boots on the ground" for its close ally, the United States won praise from Washington but was opposed by many at home.

The decision to withdraw comes ahead of Koizumi's visit to Washington for talks with President George W. Bush in late June.

No Japanese soldiers have been killed or wounded in Iraq, but Koizumi faced a political crisis in 2004 when three Japanese civilians were taken hostage by insurgents. The three, as well as two others taken hostage later, were released unharmed.

In all, six Japanese citizens, including two diplomats, have been killed by insurgents in Iraq. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said the troops had won high marks for their discipline. "I think such views have made a very big contribution to improving the brand image of Japan as a country," he told a news conference ahead of the official announcement.

Japan has said its withdrawal from the southern city of Samawa would have to be coordinated with the British and Australian governments, whose troops have been providing security for the roughly 550 Japanese non-combat troops there.

Japan's military activities overseas are limited by its pacifist constitution, although the government has been stretching those restrictions in recent years.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said the Australian troops would keep "looking after the Japanese until the Japanese have gone and I expect that to be quite soon."

In remarks to Australian radio, Howard added: "I expect the Japanese prime minister to make an announcement about that any moment now."

In Canberra, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said on Tuesday that Australia would re-assign its 460 troops protecting Japanese forces to help the Iraqi military secure the border with Syria. "It has the potential to be more dangerous for our soldiers. We don't underestimate the risk," he told reporters.

Tokyo, Tuesday, Reuters.