Japan will make a "responsible contribution" to the reconstruction of postwar Iraq, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Thursday, responding to the effective collapse of President Saddam Hussein's regime the previous day.
However, the government apparently has not reached a consensus on the extent of Japan's involvement, awaiting news of the United Nations' role in rebuilding the war-torn country.
Government leaders meanwhile expressed relief that the war seems to be nearing an end.