Tokyo, Nov 17: Almost three quarters of Japanese are against sending troops to Iraq to help rebuild the war-torn country, a television network said based on a telephone poll released today. The latest poll, conducted for three days to yesterday, also found public support for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's cabinet has fallen to 51 per cent. The ratio of opponents to a proposed dispatch of Japan's Self-Defence Forces (SDFs) to Iraq in the nationwide poll jumped by 22 percentage points to 71 per cent compared with a survey in august, Nippon Television said. Among those opposed, 43 per cent cited the recent worsening in the Iraqi security situation as a reason, while 53 per cent said they were against dispatch in principle, the private network said.
Japan last Thursday toned down an earlier pledge to send troops by the end of the year after a suicide bombing in southern Iraq Wednesday killed 18 Italians and nine Iraqis in the worst attack yet on coalition forces.

Japanese Defense Agency Chief Shigeru Ishiba said Saturday that Japan remained committed to aiding with the reconstruction of Iraq but the timing of a deployment of Japanese troops would depend on the situation there.

The poll covered 1,000 people across the nation, of whom 60 per cent gave valid answers.

It also found public support for the Koizumi's cabinet fell by nearly seven points from October to 51 per cent while disapproval rose 12 points to 41 per cent.

Bureau Report