Japan Withdraws Small Non-Combat Troop Contingent From Iraq

It's hard to find good help. US troops in Iraq will have the assistance of one less nation soon as Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has officially ordered Japan's 550 non-combat troops to come home from Iraq. The announcement brings an end to a mission that has divided his country. Although no timetable was given, it is expected that the withdrawal will begin at the end of this month. The announcement comes as the bodies of two US soldiers kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents Friday night were found on a farm south of Baghdad.

The presence of Japanese troops, who were mainly engaged with the re-building of Iraq, has tested the limits of Japan's pacifist post-war reconstruction. Although highly controversial, the deployment was seen in Washington as a symbol of Tokyo's allegiance to its US trading partner and Koizumi had often stressed that Japan would not leave the so-called coalition of the willing.

Some in Japan have been suspicious that the government was persuaded by Washington to participate in the Iraqi operation. Others have just been grateful that none of their soldiers have been killed. "It was good that no one got hurt and that they did so much work," said one Japanese woman. "I am sure that their work has helped the civilians in Iraq. It was good that they went. Well I can only say this because no one did get hurt."

By leaving Iraq Japan joins a long list of countries that participated in the multinational force to topple former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Countries no longer assisting with ground operations in Iraq...

Bulgaria
Spain
Ukraine
Nicaragua
Honduras
Norway
Dominican Republic
Philippines
New Zealand
Portugal
Singapore
Thailand
Netherlands
Moldova
Tonga
Iceland

Countries still participating in the Iraq Coalition...

Albania
Armenia
Australia
Azerbaijan
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Czech Republic
Denmark
El Salvador
Estonia
Georgia
Italy *
Japan *
Kazakhstan
South Korea
Latvia
Lithuania
Macedonia
Mongolia
Netherlands
Norway
Poland *
Romania
Slovakia
United Kingdom

* On May 18, newly elected Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi announced his decision to remove all Italian troops from Iraq, but gave no exact date for when this should take place. Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said the troop reduction in Iraq would begin this month and Italy's large military contingent of 2,700 troops would leave Iraq before 2007.

The Polish contingent was cut from 1,500 troops to 900 troops in March of this year.

• June 20, 2006

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