Japanese court won't halt Iraq mission

NAGOYA, Japan, April 18 (UPI) -- A Japanese court found that using Japanese military planes and crews to airlift coalition troops and supplies to an Iraqi war zone is unconstitutional.

But the High Court in Nagoya also refused Thursday to halt the Air Self-Defense Force mission, the Kyodo News Service reported.

Japanese planes provide ferry service between Kuwait and Baghdad, and the government argues that the Baghdad airport is not a war zone.

The suit was brought by a group of 1,100 Japanese anti-war activists who want a complete halt to support for the coalition in Iraq. Japan has already withdrawn ground soldiers who had a rebuilding mission in Iraq.

The constitution adopted after World War II bans the Japanese military from using force outside the country. The court ruled that the Kuwait-to-Baghdad airlift supports the use of force by other countries and is thus unconstitutional.

Both sides claimed victory and are not expected to appeal.