"Every Japanese should feel proud," of what their forces have accomplished in Iraq, Baghdad's Ambassador in Tokyo Ghanim Alwan Al-Jumaily told Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi this week.

That pride extends beyond the immediate task of helping to bring democracy to Iraq. Tokyo's two-year troop deployment, the first since World War II to a country where fighting is still ongoing, marked Japan's emergence as a more confident nation willing to assume a more fitting share of its international responsibilities.

Mr. Koizumi's announcement Tuesday of the troops' impending withdrawal does nothing to change that. The 600 non-combat troops are leaving because their job is done. Iraqi forces are assuming control of the southern province of Muthanna, where the Japanese had been engaged in reconstruction work. British and Australian troops are also being redeployed.

But even as its ground forces are withdrawn, Tokyo is expanding its air operations in Iraq. Formerly confined to the safer south, these military cargo flights are now being extended to Baghdad. That means Japan will still be heavily involved in Iraq.

At home, the political taboo that Japan's Iraq deployment shattered is gone for good. It's no coincidence that the Japan that found the political courage to send troops to Iraq has also found the courage in the past year to take a more assertive stance toward China's military buildup. Both are signs of Mr. Koizumi's success in making Japan a more "normal" nation. It is finally starting to throw off the shackles imposed by memories of wartime atrocities committed more than half a century ago and will no longer let these constrain it from acting in Japan's best interests.

While many world leaders took huge political risks to support the liberation of Iraq, only Mr. Koizumi had this additional hurdle to overcome. His success in doing so should make it easier for his successor to take a robust stance the next time an international crisis arises. In the meantime, Japanese -- who are a living example of how a ruined nation can rebuild and thrive -- can welcome their troops home with a sense of pride at their role in restoring Iraq.

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