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)
