Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Friday reiterated the importance of dispatching Self-Defense Forces units to Iraq to help its postwar rehabilitation, in collaboration with the United States and the international community.
Speaking at the Liberal Democratic Party's annual convention, held at a Tokyo hotel, Koizumi said that while public opinion on the SDF dispatch is sharply divided, he is confident that his decision to send troops to the war-torn country will earn the public's approval.
"Japan cannot ensure security by itself and it's unthinkable that Japan can prosper by standing alone," Koizumi said. "(We) must combine the Japan-U.S. alliance and international cooperation" in extending assistance to Iraq.