Japan, which contributed US$14 billion to the 1991 Gulf War, said it can't afford to provide similar financial help to the US for its war in Iraq because three recessions in a decade have left it mired in debt.
"The government of Japan is suffering from a huge deficit; I am afraid that our ability to assist is rather limited," said Hatsuhisa Takashima, chief spokesman for Japan's Foreign Affairs Ministry in a comment posted on the ministry's Web site.
Since the 1991 Gulf War, Japan's national debt has more than doubled to 140 percent of gross domestic product as successive governments paid for building bridges, roads and other public works in a bid stimulate economic growth. This means the US may have to shoulder a greater share of the war costs compared with 12 years ago.
Japan has so far vowed to provide humanitarian aid to refugees and financial assistance countries bordering Iraq, although it hasn't indicated how much it is willing to spend. The government plans to announce an aid package for Jordan this week, according to Takashima.
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