Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda on Wednesday welcomed the Defense Agency's decision to halt regular news conferences involving top officers of the Air, Ground and Maritime Self-Defense Forces.

The decision, announced Tuesday, has angered reporters and drawn harsh protests from the press club at the agency, with the government planning to dispatch a main unit of the Ground Self-Defense Force to help reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

Fukuda was reportedly frustrated by information leaks from the Defense Agency regarding the timing of the dispatch and other details.

"The Defense Agency itself well realizes that it has various problems in information management," Fukuda said.

He stressed that it was the agency's voluntary decision to halt regular news conferences involving the ASDF, GSDF and MSDF chiefs of staff. Each of the three had held a weekly news conference.

The Defense Agency director general, vice minister and the chairman of the Joint Staff Council give regular news conferences aside from the chiefs of staff.

The Defense Agency had explained that it planned to reduce its number of news conferences, beginning Monday, given that it holds more briefings than other government ministries and agencies.

The dispatch of ground troops to Iraq, where foreign soldiers have been killed in attacks by terrorists and insurgents almost on a daily basis, has been one of the most politically sensitive issues for the administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Asked whether the termination of regular news conferences is aimed at "putting a gag" on those in uniform, Fukuda issued a strong denial.

"I think it's appropriate for people in control of everything (to have a news conference)," he said.

"I expect (the chiefs of staff) to put all their strength on commanding their (units) in case of emergency. They are experts at that."

Report includes information added from Kyodo News.