DA tells arms company to keep mouth shut concerning its engineers going to Iraq

In a move to get the dispatch of Self-Defense Force units to Iraq approved smoothly by the Diet, the Defense Agency has instructed a weapons manufacturer to withhold from the press the fact that it had requested the company to send engineers to Iraq.

Akahata on February 8 reported that an in-house circular of the Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. stated, "We are asked to ensure that extreme care is taken to prevent leakage of information concerning the request we received from the Defense Agency."

The circular also said that a Defense Agency official had repeatedly reminded the company of the need to prevent the information from being leaked due to the Diet discussion of the SDF dispatch entering into a crucial stage.

The Defense Agency reportedly requested Kawasaki to undertake the maintenance of its C130 transport aircraft in Kuwait. It is also reported that Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. has been asked to repair C130 engines. It has not made the facts public. (end)