Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi renewed his pledge Wednesday to dispatch Self-Defense Forces units to Iraq even if the security situation is not completely stable.

During a session of the House of Councilors Budget Committee, Koizumi said Japan's commitment toward the reconstruction of Iraq is now being tested.

"Can we really say we are taking our responsibility as the second largest economy in the world by doing nothing until (Iraq) becomes completely safe?" Koizumi ventured in response to questions by Satsuki Eda, a lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Japan.

The DPJ opposes the dispatch of SDF units to Iraq.

The prime minister reiterated that SDF units are more suited to reconstruction activities in Iraq than civilians, citing the fact that they are well equipped and are trained to work under rough conditions.

"I do not take the stance that we cannot do anything just because terrorists are there," Koizumi said. "I pay respect to the United States and other countries working toward the reconstruction of Iraq under difficult conditions, and I believe Japan too must do something."

Regarding whether the government will stick to its original plan to send troops by the end of the year, Koizumi said he was "not bothered" by the time element.

"I will make a decision by assessing the situation," he said, adding that he will scrutinize a report to be compiled by a government task force that will soon return from a fact-finding mission in the southern Iraq city of Samawah.

The 10-member team, comprising officers of the Ground Self-Defense Force, entered Samawah on Nov. 18 to assess the local security situation.

Samawah is a candidate site for the SDF dispatch because it is considered safer than other parts of the country.

Earlier in the day, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said that some members of the team will remain in Iraq, while the remainder will return to Japan in a few days to report their findings.

"It's likely that some of them will stay," Fukuda told a regular news conference. "They will keep inspecting the situation and coordinating (with local authorities)."

The government's decision on when to dispatch the troops will come after it hears the team's report, he said.

Opposition parties are demanding that the government disclose its findings and explain how Samawah is viewed as a "noncombat" area. SDF troops can only operate in such areas under a special law governing the dispatch of troops to Iraq.

"We will have to explain," Fukuda said, though he added that the government will not disclose details of these findings.

DPJ hit for opposition

Former South Korean Prime Minister Kim Jong Pil on Wednesday criticized the opposition Democratic Party of Japan for opposing the dispatch of Self-Defense Forces to Iraq.

"The United States is calling for a dispatch of troops to maintain security and prevent terrorism, so Japan should cooperate," Kim was quoted as telling DPJ President Naoto Kan in a meeting at the DPJ's headquarters in Tokyo.