The Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) contingent in Iraq, which has been deployed since January 2004, will begin withdrawing from the Iraqi province of Al Muthanna beginning in June, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said June 20. The withdrawal will be completed by the end of July, Koizumi added. The deployment of SDF forces to a war zone was a controversial decision in Japan, made all the more so because the Japanese military's operations are sharply restricted by the pacifist Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which was enacted after World War II. The withdrawal of troops without any Japanese casualties, or even any shot fired in combat, marks a success for Koizumi's argument that SDF forces can be deployed even to a war zone without incident. This will help the Japanese prime minister promote reform of SDF operational procedures, something he has sought ever since he was elected. During their deployment to Iraq, SDF troops were given strictly humanitarian missions and were bound by strict rules of engagement prohibiting them from engaging the enemy. The Japanese troops were not allowed to defend themselves, and so relied on Dutch — and after the Dutch withdrew, British and Australian — forces for protection. Though well-funded and technologically advanced, SDF forces are rarely used because of constitutional restrictions. Whether to reform how the SDF is used, and if so, what changes to make, has sparked a fierce debate in Japan. Other Asian nations have closely watched this debate, particularly China and South Korea. Though its neighbors might not be persuaded that expanded Japanese operations abroad do not signal a return to Japan's militaristic past, reform-minded Japanese politicians will use the death-free Iraq deployment to assuage domestic concerns about the Japanese deaths that might come with expanded SDF operations abroad. The SDF withdrawal — which comes as responsibility for security in Al Muthanna is being taken by Iraqi forces, since British and Australian are also withdrawing from the Iraqi province — means whoever succeeds Koizumi after he steps down in September will not be burdened with the decision of when to withdraw from Iraq. Free from this decision, Japan's new prime minister can enjoy a first term defined around other issues. Ultimately, while SDF reform will remain a difficult political issue in Japan, the successful completion of a deployment to a war zone will help those arguing in favor of further reform.