Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba issued a command
Thursday afternoon to withdraw the Maritime Self-Defense Force
(MSDF), which has been undertaking the refueling mission for the
US-led military operation in and around Afghanistan, from the
Indian Ocean.
Ishiba's command at 3 PM by telegraph was first issued to the
MSDF's warship vessels headquarters which is located in Kanagawa
Prefecture south of Tokyo, and the headquarters then delivered the
order to the fleet in the Indian Ocean.
The MSDF supply ship Tokiwa and destroyer Kirisame are to set
out their journey back home Thursday midnight of Japanese time
(7:00 PM local time), and will arrive at their bases in Japan in
three weeks, according to defense ministry officials.
The withdrawal of the fleet is in accordance with the special
antiterrorism measures law's expiration on Thursday, and will mark
the end or suspension of the Japanese armed forces' first post-war
overseas mission, which started in December 2001.
As the departure was officially ordered, Japanese Prime Minister
Yasuo Fukuda reiterated the necessity to resume the refueling
mission as soon as possible.
In a statement released to the public, Fukuda, who's been
suffering from harassment due to the opposition bloc's insisted
refusal to extend the mission, expressed his determination to enact
a new bill so as to allow the resumption of the mission.
"We need to make our utmost efforts to continue the refueling
mission as it involves fulfilling our responsibility in the world
campaign against terrorism," Fukuda said.
The premier stressed that the antiterrorism war is related to
Japan's national interests and pledged continued cooperation with
the international society for reconstructing Afghanistan.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said the statement
will be delivered to related countries through diplomatic
channels.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Machimura described giving
up "the responsibilities as a member of the international society"
as a "major stain" in the Japanese history.
According to Japan's official statistics, the MSDF has provided
about 490,000 kiloliters of oil to vessels from 11 countries in 794
missions, and more than 80 percent of the oil went to US
warships.
The nearly six-year-long refueling activities have been
undoubtedly a robust support for the multinational forces. While
the stop of the energy supply is sure to cause trouble for the
US-led military operation, the US side did not exert excessive
pressure on the Fukuda government or expressed much unhappiness
toward Japan on the issue.
Japanese political affairs analysts said although the pullout of
MSDF may temporarily cool down the Japan-US ties, it will not wage
any impact of magnitude on the ally between the two countries.
During a recent interview with Japanese correspondents, senior
Pentagon officials said the cease of refueling is not significant
enough to baffle the US-Japan ally, and US Defense Secretary Robert
Gates will not raise the issue during his upcoming visit to
Japan.
According to Japanese media, Fukuda planned to directly explain
issues surrounding the refueling mission to US President George W.
Bush during his US-tour slated for mid November.
Fukuda is facing a critical challenge on the domestic political
stage. Although his Cabinet submitted to the Diet on Oct. 17 a new
bill to replace the expiring special antiterrorism measures law,
the MSDF's refueling mission is unlikely to be resumed as the
opposition camp, which controls the Upper House of the Diet,
strongly opposed the bill and refused to compromise on the
matter.
Analysts said the Fukuda Cabinet can by no means enact the bill
under normal procedure during the current Diet session through
Nov.10.
Since the ruling Liberal Democratic Party controls the Lower
House, which holds the final say in the Diet, the last method for
Fukuda is to ignore the Upper House's decision and forcibly pass
the bill in the Lower House.
However at this rarely-used method, the Fukuda Cabinet has to
take the public opinion into consideration to avoid a credibility
crisis which could finally cripple the government.
The Japanese parliament passed the original special
antiterrorism law in Oct. 2001, one month after the Sept. 11
attacks on the United States. The Japanese government's subsequent
dispatch of the MSDF into overseas mission under the law was the
first of its kind after WWII, marking a milestone-like transition
in Japan's defense policy.
The law was extended for two years in 2003 and was extended for
one year in 2005 and 2006 respectively.
(Xinhua News Agency November 2, 2007)
