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Japanese troops crossing into Iraq

(27 Feb 2004) 1. Japanese troops standing around talking 2. Various of troops preparing equipment 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Colonel Bonsho (no first name supplied), Japanese Army: "Good morning ladies and gentlemen, we have now arrived at the (Kuwait) border and from now on we move to Samawah. It is great pleasure for us to be here today. Thank you." 4. Various angles of convoy moving out 5. Soldiers in vehicles STORYLINE: Some 130 Japanese soldiers crossed the desert border into Iraq on Friday, on their way to a humanitarian but controversial mission which will eventually involve up to 1,000 ground, air and naval forces. The soldiers, in a 30-vehicle convoy of armored personnel carriers, trucks and other vehicles drove into Iraq at 8:40 a.m. (5:40 GMT). Their journey of some 230 kilometers (about 145 miles) to the southern Iraqi city of Samawah is expected to last several hours. They will join a unit of 100 Japanese soldiers, which is setting up camp there. In Samawah, which is about 360 kilometers (230 miles) southeast of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, the soldiers will supply Iraqis with clean water, rebuild schools and bolster local hospitals. The Japanese troops arrived in Kuwait on Sunday, where they trained at U.S. camps on target shooting and driving in convoy before their deployment to Samawah. Public opinion in Japan is split over the operation, which is the country''''''''s first military mission abroad since World War II. The government says it has a responsibility to the international community to help rebuild Iraq. However, there is widespread concern that Japanese troops could get caught up in the violence that has racked Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion, and opposition parties say the operation violates the nation''''''''s pacifist constitution. Japan has contributed troops to U.N.-led peacekeeping operations for more than a decade, but they were allowed to serve only in countries where a cease-fire was in place. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...