Japan extends the mission of its forces in Iraq

The Iraqi ministry of the Interior has expressed support to the proposal made by the Interim Iraqi prime minister to extend the period for carrying the elections to two or three weeks.

However, the spokesman for the higher commission for the elections Fred Ayar said that the commission was not officially notified by any side on the process of the election operation, noting that such proposals need " study and audition." Concerning the foreign forces in Iraq, a Japanese official source announced that the government of the conservative Japanese prime minister decided yesterday to extend the mission of its forces in Iraq for one year as was expected.

Some 600 Japanese soldiers are taking part since February in a " non fighting " mission in al-Samawa, the Shiite city which has been witnessing a relative calm and situated, 250 Km to the southern east of Baghdad.

These developments came with the announcement on the sudden visit carried by the British defense minister Jiff Houne to Iraq where he had met with the British forces positioned to the south of Iraq.