Koizumi, Fukuda repeat Iraq resolve

[Hachiko]

One year after the start of the U.S.-led war against Iraq, top Japanese officials are determined to keep ground troops in Iraq despite growing fears of terrorist attacks both at home and abroad.
"I'm prepared for the reality that the fight against terrorism will take a long time," Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told reporters Friday, a day before the March 20 anniversary of the war's start.

Koizumi denied that doubts over the legitimacy of the U.S.-led war are growing even among countries that have stood by Washington.

"Without building a stable government in Iraq, the world won't see peace and stability," Koizumi said. "I think that's the consensus" shared by the international community, he added.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said he still believes weapons of mass destruction may be found in Iraq, restating one of Japan's justifications for throwing its full support behind the war.

But the public doesn't seem to be buying the government's explanations. A poll conducted by the major daily Asahi Shimbun earlier this month found 66 percent of the respondents said the United States, which claimed that Iraq possessed WMDs, had no legitimate reason to attack Iraq, while 19 percent said it did.

Japan Times

66 percent made the right choice, IMHO. I don't know about you guys, but I would suspect Koizumi could be seeing new elections coming right around the corner, given the public dissent.