The Ground Self-Defense Force exit from south Iraq has just begun and the pullout is not without its dangers, which could range from insurgent attacks to oppressive heat, the unit commander said Wednesday from Samawah.
The 600 troops from the 10th GSDF contingent now in the city have already begun loading equipment into shipping containers, Col. Toshihiro Yamanaka said in a teleconference with reporters in Tokyo.
"Withdrawal of the rear guard, as they used to say in the old days (in actual battles), always involves difficulties," Yamanaka said. "We need to pay more attention to safety than ever, as new threats are expected."