Japanese Iraq Reconstruction and Support Group

In 2004, the Japanese government ordered a deployment of troops to Iraq at the request of the United States: A contingent of the Japan Self-Defense Forces was sent in order to assist the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, sending 600 soldiers into Iraqi soil. This controversial deployment marked a significant turning point in Japan's history as it is the first time since the end of World War II that Japan sent troops abroad except for a few minor UN peacekeeping deployments. As article 9 of the Constitution of Japan prohibits Japan from using military forces, this intervention is considered illegal by many sector in Japan, from the public to the various opposition parties.

Overview

Public opinion regarding this deployment was sharply divided, especially given that Japan's military is constitutionally structured as solely a self-defense force, and operating in Iraq seemed at best tenuously connected to that mission. The Koizumi administration, however, decided to send troops to respond to a request from the U.S.

The divided nature of Japanese public opinion was also taken advantage of by Iraqi insurgents. In April 2004, three Japanese, one journalist and two volunteer workers, were kidnapped. They were released on April 15 [1], while an unconfirmed report said two Japanese journalists appeared to be kidnapped near Baghdad. [2]. The kidnappers of the original three threatened to burn the hostages alive if Japanese troops were not removed from Iraq within three days. The release of the hostages was negotiated by the Islamic Clerics Committee, who have been responsible for the release of more than 20 hostages during the war.

According to representatives from Japan, Britain, Australia and the US, all JGSDF soldiers in Samawa are supposed to be withdrawn by March 2006, after an original annoucement said that they could leave by May 2006. It was later denied by Defense Agency representatives in a Kyodo news reports, though the stance was later reversed.

Origin

In order to legalize the deployment of Japanese forces in Samawa, the Koizumi administration had legislated the Humanitarian Relief and Iraqi Reconstruction Special Measures Law on December 9, 2003 in the Diet. Though opposition groups have firmly opposed it (Some have tried to block the podium of the Speaker so as to prevent it from being legal), the government parties have officially passed it, calling for JSDF personnel to be sent into Iraq (Some were sent into Kuwait and will be stationed there as liaison and cargo personnel for coalition forces stationed in Iraqi soil).

Deployment

Overview

Most Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces (JGSDF) soldiers have been transferred to Samawa, which is a relatively stable province. They were known as the Japanese Iraq Reconstruction and Support Group (JIRSG). A total of 550 non-combat soldiers were deployed. A total of 9 JIRSG units went operational in Samawa from 2004 to 2006. Units in Hokkaido were involved in the first contingent and the 10th Division based in Nagoya were involved in the fifth contingent. Currently, soldiers from the 9th Division from Tokyo's Nerima Ward make up the bulk of the ninth contingent.

Australian and British soldiers were on hand to provide protection for most of them since Japanese troops were not allowed to attack any Iraqi guerillas unless they were being directly threatened.

Arrival

Advance forces of the JGSDF arrived in Kuwait on January 9 and January 17, 2004 after an advance team from the Japanese Air Self-Defense Forces went to Kuwait from their Komaki base in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture in order to assess the security situation in Samawa on December 23, 2003. The first JGSDF troops arrived at the Dutch military base in Samawa on January 19, 2004.

Withdrawal

Japanese representatives are in talks with American, Australian and British military officials regarding the pullout of JGSDF forces in Samawa. Although Defense Agency officials at first denied a report that they would withdraw, they eventually said that all JGSDF soldiers of the JIRSG would leave Iraqi soil by March 2006, though this move has been recently refuted by Defense Agency representatives in order to see if a new Iraqi government could be esbatablished before the end of 2006.

Junichiro Koizumi had announced that Japanese forces could withdraw as early as July after a unity government in Iraq was established.

Commanders

• (Formerly Lieutenant Colonel) Colonel Masahisa Sato - Commander of advance JGSDF forces (January 16, 2004 - February 27, 2004)
• Colonel Koichiro Bansho - 2nd Commander of JGSDF forces (February 27, 2004 - unknown)
• Colonel Masato Taura - 3rd Commander of JGSDF forces?

- Colonel Yasushi Kiyota was present with Colonel Sato, but was the head of a JGSDF liaison unit

See also

• U.S.-led occupation of Iraq

External links

• Japanese Defense Agency press statement on Media Coverage of JSDF personnel in Iraq