Japan may extend its deployment of troops in southern Iraq if the security situation in the country does not change, a top government official said Tuesday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said, however, that the government has made no final decision yet. "If the situation remains the way it is now, I think it's necessary for Japan to continue to get actively involved," said Hosoda. When asked if an extension was possible, Hosoda said, "Yes." Some 500 Japanese troops on a non-combat, humanitarian mission in the Iraqi city of Samawah are slated to come home in December this year. Another 500 are based in neighboring Gulf states providing support. The Nihon Keizai newspaper reported on Tuesday that the Cabinet was expected to approve an extension of about one year before December, and that foreign ministry and defense officials have already notified Washington. A Defense Agency spokeswoman declined to comment on the report.
