A recent poll shows support for Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his cabinet has dropped to 37 percent following his decision to extend the mandate of Japanese troops serving in Iraq by a year.  

The poll by Japan's national daily newspaper Mainchi Shimbun says it is the first time his approval rate had dropped below 40 percent since he came to power in 2001.

About 45 percent of respondents say they don't support Koizumi, with the majority saying they opposed the extension of Japan's mission in Iraq.

An overwhelming majority of the respondents say Koizumi has failed to provide a sufficient explanation for why he decided to extend the troops' mandate by a year.

(CRI.com December 13, 2004)