The first group of Japan's military contingent left for the Middle East Friday to set the stage for a non-combat humanitarian mission in Iraq, according to information made available to Japanese media.An undisclosed number of airforce members left New Tokyo International Airport at Narita, just west of Tokyo, aboard a commercial flight for Qatar and Kuwait, Jiji Press and Kyodo news agencies said.
The defence agency would not confirm the reports.
The first group is a part of an advance party of about 40 airforce servicemen. The rest of the members are scheduled to depart from Narita on other commercial flights later, the reports said.
Japan opted not to use its own military or government planes but sent the first group aboard a flight operated by British Airways, a Japanese reporter said.
The advance mission is to prepare for the dispatch of 150 other airforce members in January.
The dispatch is part of Japan's plan to send a total of some 1,000 troops to the region to engage in humanitarian and reconstruction work for Iraq.
After months of foot-dragging, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's cabinet formally decided on December 9 to send a maximum of 600 ground troops to Iraq on a mission to last until December 2004.
It is the first time that a Japanese military unit will be sent to a country where fighting is still raging. Japan's post-war constitution bans the use of force in settling international disputes.
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