Tokyo

Japan votes to send troops to Iraq

A divided Japanese Parliament on Friday approved the dispatch of troops to Iraq, the latest sign of a growing willingness in Japan to use its military.

“If we can send air forces and ground forces to the international coalition in Iraq, that is a new phase of our contribution to international activity,” said Satoshi Morimoto, a professor at Takushoku University in Tokyo and a former Japanese air force and Foreign Ministry official.

The recent escalation of violence against U.S. and British forces in Iraq fueled opposition to the proposal, but the ruling coalition had enough votes to win approval of the bill on Friday. Passage in the Upper House is virtually guaranteed.

Japan plans to send about 1,000 members of its ground and air Self-Defense Forces, as the military is known, to Iraq in October. They will support other coalition forces rather than be in any front-line detail.

New Orleans

Teachers union proposes mandatory kindergarten

Every child should be required to attend kindergarten and should be offered free pre-kindergarten, the nation’s largest teachers union says.

National Education Assn. delegates called for the broad expansion in early childhood learning during their annual business meeting Friday. Left open was how local, state and federal governments would raise the money to pay for it.

Kindergarten attendance is mandatory in 14 states; 41 states require school districts to offer kindergarten, the Education Commission of the States reports.

NEA delegates agreed kindergarten should be required so children learn the basic academic and social skills that will be demanded of them in first grade.

Union members also called for every state to offer voluntary pre-kindergarten to children ages 3 and 4.

Jerusalem

Iran tests missile that can reach Israel

Iran has successfully tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile that can reach Israel, an Israeli newspaper reported Friday.

The Haaretz daily said the test of the Shahab-3 was conducted last week and was the most successful of seven or eight launches over the past five years.

The newspaper said the Shahab-3 has a range of more than 812 miles.

Israel’s army chief, Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon, will discuss the threat posed by Iran when he meets with U.S. defense officials next week, Haaretz said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Friday that he hoped the International Atomic Energy Agency and international powers would pressure Iran to allow weapons inspectors into the country and to sign nonproliferation agreements guaranteeing that it has no intention to develop nuclear weapons.