Japan will dispatch an advance unit of Ground Self-Defense Force troops to Iraq as early as December under a special law to support the rehabilitation of the country, government sources said Saturday.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will outline the plan when U.S. President George W. Bush visits Tokyo on Oct. 17, they said.

The advance GSDF unit, which will consist of 100 personnel, will be sent to southern Iraq because the area is relatively secure and make preparations for the full deployment of GSDF troops.