Washington asked Tokyo to add flights to Baghdad and other points in Iraq to make up for the expected withdrawal around May 2006 of 550 soldiers stationed in Samawah on a non-combat mission to purify water, build schools and carry out other humanitarian tasks, the newspaper said. Tokyo, however, was looking into adding flights to the U.S. regional command headquarters in Qatar, it said.

The discussion comes as the government weighs extending the deployment in Samawah for a year after legislation enabling it expires Dec. 14.

The ASDF planes deliver supplies and personnel to Talil and Basra in southern Iraq from their base in Kuwait, which is staffed by about 200 personnel, the newspaper said.

The Japan Times Weekly: Nov. 12, 2005
(C) All rights reserved