TRANSPORT TRUCKS CARRYING ARMOURED VEHICLES LEFT THE JAPANESE MILITARY BASE IN SOUTHERN IRAQ ON SUNDAY IN ONE OF THE FIRST SIGNS THAT JAPAN HAS BEGUN ITS PROMISED TROOP PULLOUT. PRIME MINISTER JUNICHIRO KOIZUMI ANNOUNCED LAST TUESDAY THAT JAPAN WOULD WITHDRAW ITS ROUGHLY 550 SOLDIERS, ENGAGED IN RECONSTRUCTION AND HUMANITARIAN WORK, FROM THEIR BASE IN SAMAWA IN THE SOUTHERN PROVINCE OF MUTHANNA. REUTERS JOURNALISTS SAW AT LEAST 15 TRANSPORTERS LEAVE THE BASE CARRYING ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIERS AND OTHER VEHICLES. AT LEAST ONE JAPANESE ARMOURED VEHICLE ALSO DROVE OUT OF THE BASE UNDER ITS OWN POWER, APPARENTLY ESCORTING THE CONVOY.
