Tokyo, Sept 13: Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said today his government will decide on a Japanese contribution to postwar Iraq after taking a hard look at reports from a fact-finding delegation expected to leave in a few days. Japanese lawmakers approved a landmark bill in July authorizing ground troops to help with reconstruction and non-combat support for US.-led forces in Iraq, but plans for their dispatch were put on hold amid concerns about mounting casualties. Koizumi said his government was getting ready to send a fact-finding mission to Iraq that would lay the groundwork for a decision on what kind of contribution Japan will make. Media reports have said a team of officials is set to leave Tuesday. ``As soon as preparations are complete, the government will send a fact-finding team,'' Koizumi said during a television appearance.
``Once we get a grasp of the conditions on the ground, we will know what kind of mission would be appropriate for the self-defense force.'' Bureau Report