In an embarrassing overnight flip-flop, Defense Agency chief Fumio Kyuma withdrew Friday his previous remarks that the government did not officially support the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, but that former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi did so only in a private capacity.</PARAGRAPH> <PHOTO> <TABLE WIDTH='250' ALIGN='RIGHT' BORDER='0'> <TR> <TD><IMG ALT='News photo' BORDER='0' SRC='../images/photos2006/nn20061209a2a.jpg' WIDTH='250' HEIGHT='171'/></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT SIZE='1'><B>Defense Agency chief Fumio Kyuma –

attends an extraordinary Cabinet meeting Friday with Prime Minister Shinzo Ane and health minister Hakuo Yanagisawa. KYODO PHOTO

Kyuma's remarks caused a stir, particularly because he heads the Defense Agency, which still has an Air Self-Defense Force unit deployed in the region to provide airlift support for U.S.-led multinational forces and United Nations staff working in the war-torn country.