Japanese public opinion was divided over Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's decision to send troops to Iraq, polls showed yesterday, just hours ahead of the expected arrival of the first Japanese soldiers in the Iraqi town of Samawa.
Koizumi defended the politically risky dispatch in a speech prepared for the opening of a new session of parliament.
"We would not be meeting our responsibilities as a member of the international community if we were to leave the contribution of personnel to other countries because of the possible danger," he said.
Foreign Minister Yoriko Ka-waguchi told parliament that Iraq's reconstruction was directly linked to the national interests of Japan, which relies on the Middle East for around 90 percent of its oil imports.
"If Iraq becomes a `failed state' and a base for terrorist activities as Afghanistan once was, it would become a large threat to not only the Middle East but the international community as a whole, including our country," Kawaguchi said.
An advance team was expected to cross the border from Kuwait into Iraq later yesterday on its way to the southern town, where it will begin preparations for the arrival of around 600 troops to take part in reconstruction and humanitarian activities.
About 48 percent of respondents to a weekend poll by Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun said they opposed the dispatch, down from 55 percent in the previous poll carried out in December. About 40 percent said they supported it, up from 34 percent.
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