Second group of Japanese troops enters Iraq

[Robb]

130-140 Japanese soldiers enter Iraq to join some 100 Japanese ground troops already stationed in Samawa.

NAVISTAR, Iraq-Kuwait border - A second group of 130-140 Japanese soldiers entered Iraq Friday to join the contingent based in the southern city of Samawa.

They had arrived in Kuwait Sunday and had been undergoing training in a camp in Kuwait in preparation for their mission, which Tokyo stresses is purely for humanitarian and reconstruction purposes.

"I am very happy. I am honoured. It is a great pleasure for us to be here," unit commander Colonel Koichiro Bansho said.

"Now we are going from Kuwait to Samawa. We will be working together with our colleagues in Samawa," said Bansho, minutes before leading the convoy into Iraq at a special crossing point used only by the US-led forces in Iraq.

(more)

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(Of course, this has nothing to do with this story explaining how Toyko's support for the invasion stems from their interest in developing the Akkra gas fields...)