Iraqi PM sees no need for ASDF after year's end

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told Kyodo News on Friday that the demand for logistical support extended by Japanese air troops will not last long, saying there will be no need for them "by the end of this year." Maliki said Iraq instead needs civilian Japanese experience, capabilities and technical know-how for reconstruction.

This was the first time the Iraqi prime minister cited a specific time when Air Self-Defense Force troops might be withdrawn from Iraq. With their current mission scheduled to expire July 31, the Japanese government and Japan's governing coalition have introduced legislation to extend the mandate by another two years.