Military

25 July 2003

U.S. Welcomes Japanese Decision to Send Troops to Iraq

Japanese troops to participate in Iraqi reconstruction

State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher welcomed a Japanese parliamentary decision to send troops to help with the rebuilding of Iraq. Speaking at the July 25 State Department press briefing in Washington, Boucher said the United States would welcome any contribution from Japan.

"We certainly welcome the financial assistance, the humanitarian assistance, reconstruction assistance and military assistance for the stabilization in Iraq. We recognize what an important issue this is and how it's an important development for Japan, which we welcome. And we think that Japan's ability to play this positive role in Iraq is a reflection of the kind of role it can play in world affairs," said Boucher.

Following are excerpts from the July 25 State Department briefing containing Boucher's comments on Japan's contributions to Iraqi reconstruction:

(begin excerpt)

QUESTION: Yes. A Japanese parliamentary committee Friday passed a bill and (inaudible) dispatch of troops to help rebuild Iraq, and this bill has been approved by both the lower -- Japanese lower house and the upper chamber.

How do you comment on that, and what is the U.S. reaction?

MR. BOUCHER: We have said consistently we welcome any contribution that Japan can make to the reconstruction in Iraq. We certainly welcome the financial assistance, the humanitarian assistance, reconstruction assistance and military or -- assistance for the stabilization in Iraq. We recognize what an important issue this is and how it's an important development for Japan, which we welcome, and we think that Japan's ability to play this positive role in Iraq is a reflection of the kind of role it can play in world affairs.

QUESTION: Can I make a follow-up on that?

MR. BOUCHER: Yes.

QUESTION: According to this bill, Japanese self-defense forces would only be sent to areas free of military conflicts. But according to U.S., the Pentagon acknowledged that in Iraq U.S. is engaged in a guerrilla type of combat, so and also that currently Iraq is still dangerous situation.

Does U.S. have a very clear differentiation between the area of military conflict and of area free of military conflict?

MR. BOUCHER: That's a question that can be worked out with the military. There are, indeed, large areas of Iraq which are peaceful, which are stable, where the reconstruction work is underway but which do need some kind of security presence. So I'm sure as our military works with all the others who might contribute to this, and there are many countries who are contributing, that they can find the appropriate area for the different countries' forces that might be sent.

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QUESTION: Yes, can I make two follow-ups on the question of the force (inaudible)? My first follow-up is --

MR. BOUCHER: I'm sorry, on the question of what?

QUESTION: It's about the bill regarding the Japanese self-defense force to Iraq. What kind of role the U.S. expect the Japanese to play in rebuilding Iraq, and is there any differences between what U.S. expected, expect Japanese to play, and what the Japanese want to do or to play?

MR. BOUCHER: The first is what kind of role do we expect them to play. I think I answered that: a positive role, a useful role, a contributory role, one that helps stabilize Iraq and helps Japanese interests and our interests and, more importantly, the interests of the people of Iraq.

And as far as sort of what we wanted and what they offered, what we wanted is for people to offer what they can and to do what they can, and we welcome all these offers of support. We welcome Japanese decisions to go forward with assistance, humanitarian aid, reconstruction aid and a military role. And so no, there's no differences between the United States and Japan about what they might do.

QUESTION: So that means like if, according to you, there basically is the humanitarian support in Iraq like --

MR. BOUCHER: I said there were a lot of things that need to be done. We welcome any role that Japan is prepared to play in helping out.

(end excerpt)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)