Japan Announces End of Air Mission in Iraq

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Source: Associated Press

Japan announced Friday it would end its airlift operations in Iraq by the end of the year, citing security improvements and moves toward democracy in Iraq.

The largely formal order to end the nation's four-year participation in Iraq came at a government national security council meeting, and had been expected for months. Prime Minister Taro Aso said the mission had achieved its goal.

''Iraq has demonstrated a steady effort to install a democratic government and the country's security has improved while the Iraqi people are now making their own effort to rebuild their country'' Aso said in a statement.

The non-combative mission has tested the limits of Japan's pacifist constitution and divided the public.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-AS-Japan-Iraq.html

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1. Japan to pull military from Iraq by year's end (CNN)

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Japan will pull its Air Self-Defense Force out of Iraq, part of an effort to withdraw its 210 military personnel from the country by the end of 2008, the prime minister said Friday ... The ASDF, Japan's aviation wing of its military, has conducted 810 flights, transporting 46,000 passengers and 670 tons of cargo in missions between Baghdad and southern Iraq, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. http://www.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/11/27/japan.iraq/index.html