Japanese Defense Minister Yoshinori Ohno left for Iraq on Saturday in an effort to bolster public support for an expected extension of the troops' mission to help rebuild the war-torn country, media reported. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's cabinet is expected on Friday to extend the troops' humanitarian and reconstruction aid mission for possibly another year beyond its initial deadline of Dec. 14, media reports have said. But concern about the troops' safety has stoked calls in Japan to pull out the soldiers when their mandate expires. A recent opinion poll showed 61 percent of the public opposes extending the mission. Koizumi, a close ally of U.S. President George W. Bush, has expended considerable political capital to support the U.S.-led war in Iraq and to send about 550 troops to the southern Iraqi city of Samawa, a mission that critics say violates Japan's pacifist constitution. Ohno's visit is aimed at allaying the Japanese public's concerns about security in Samawa and stressing the need for continued aid by Japanese troops, newspaper reports said. Defense ministry officials were not available for comment on Saturday, but Ohno had said on Friday that he wanted to take a first-hand look at the situation in Samawa. "I think it is something I need to see with my own eyes since it is an issue of public interest," Ohno said at a news conference.
