Government officials Monday defended the activities performed by the Self-Defense Forces in Iraq, saying the recent execution of a Japanese hostage there was the work of terrorists and was not triggered by local Iraqi people's anger toward the troops.
"We know the (Iraqi) government and other parties have understood Japan's policy and support for reconstruction efforts," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda told a news conference.
Asked if the troop presence has heightened the possibility of terrorist attacks against Japanese nationals in Iraq, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told reporters: "I don't think so. Terrorists have remorselessly murdered innocent citizens around the world, even before the Iraq war."