Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi has survived a no-confidence vote paving the way for the country to send troops to Iraq. But the proposed law, which could mean an end to Japan's pacifist constitution, provoked uproar in Parliament as scuffles broke out between coalition and opposition MPs. Polls show more than half the public are against sending soldiers on what would be the nations biggest overseas deployment since the second World War. But Koizumi is determined to keep his promise to help the United States, Japan's most important ally. Under the constitution, the Japanese army is purely a defensive one and is known as the Self-Defence Force, or SDF. Despite its limited role, it is still an extremely well-equipped and highly trained fighting force. Koizumi has stressed the SDF would not take part in combat and would only be sent to areas of Iraq free from conflict. But sceptics say that will be hard to find. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Opposition lawmakers rush to the chairman to stop the passage of a bill allowing Japanese Self Defense Forces to be sent to Iraq. (AFP/JIJI PRESS)