Britain offers to ensure safety of Japanese troops in Iraq: Koizumi

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050120/wl_mideast_afp/japanbritainiraq&cid=1514&ncid=1473

TOKYO (AFP) - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Britain had offered to ensure the safety of Japanese troops in southern Iraq (news - web sites) after the March pullout of Dutch soldiers currently protecting the Japanese contingent.


Koizumi said the pledge had come from British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who is currently in Japan on a two-day visit.


While noting that the Japanese troops had their own safety measures, Koizumi said Straw had told him Britain would offer "all-out cooperation" because it was in charge of security in southeastern Iraq.


Straw also met with Japanese counterpart Nobutaka Machimura and told him Britain was fully aware of its responsibility in southeastern Iraq, said a senior Japanese foreign ministry official present at the talks.

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