Japan's cabinet is likely to approve a plan today for the dispatch of troops to Iraq in what could be Japan's biggest overseas military mission since World War Two.
"We cannot allow Iraq to fall into confusion and we cannot give in to terrorism," Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told reporters. "I don't think that it is all right for Japan to do nothing. I think that not only financial assistance, but support by personnel - including the Self-Defence Forces [military] - is necessary," he added.
"If discussions [with our coalition partner] go smoothly, I think a cabinet resolution will be possible tomorrow," he said, referring to an expected meeting on Tuesday with Takenori Kanzaki, head of his coalition partner, the New Komeito Party.
Mr Koizumi is expected to give a news conference tomorrow explaining his justification for the controversial step, which comes after intense debate following the killing of two Japanese diplomats in Iraq late last month.
Media have said Japan could eventually send more than 1,000 military personnel, although the basic plan was not expected to contain key details such as the timing and size of the dispatch.
Even as the government prepared to sign off on the plan, the main opposition Democratic Party began a campaign against sending the troops to Iraq, and a fresh poll showed that only 17 per cent of voters were in favour of sending the military soon.
Fifty-three per cent of those polled over the weekend by public broadcaster NHK said they would support a troop dispatch after peace and order were restored in Iraq, while 28 per cent said they opposed it under any circumstances.