Japanese are increasingly worried about plans to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to Iraq for its postwar reconstruction, with 55 percent saying they oppose the move, according to a survey of a major Japanese newspaper released Tuesday.

This figure was an increase from the 46 percent in June. Those who said they supported the SDF dispatch fell to 33 percent from 43 percent, the survey conducted by the Asahi Shimbun showed.

Of those opposing the SDF dispatch, 25 percent said Iraq "still poses a danger," up from 16 percent in the previous poll.

Seventeen percent of those who support the SDF dispatch cited Japan's need "to contribute to the international community." But this was down from 29 percent in June.

The latest telephone poll was conducted Sunday and Monday on 1,946 randomly selected people across Japan, with valid responsesobtained from 53 percent, the newspaper said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 22, 2003)