Pentagon report praises Japan's Self-Defense Forces 'contribution' to U.S. 'war on terrorism'

The 2002 U.S. Department of Defense report on "Allied Contribution to the Common Defense" highly appraises the Japanese Self-Defense Forces' participation in operations in the Indian Ocean the past year in support of U.S. forces.

The report, submitted to the U.S. Congress, stressed that Japan recently expanded its role to actively taking part in military activities at regional or global levels, in addition to its financial support.

The report states that Japan has supplied prompt and essential support to U.S. military activities in its war on terrorism, and that the most important support was the Maritime Self-Defense Force going abroad for the first time in its history to support ongoing combat operations.

Comparing the percentage of increase or decrease of military expenditure of 25 U.S. allies between 1990 and 2001, the report highly appreciates Japan's 20 percent increase, which is in stark contrast with a 20 percent decrease for the rest of the U.S. allies and the United States combined.

The report also revealed that the 3,877 million dollars which Japan paid in 2000 as expenditures for the U.S. forces stationed in Japan is far greater than the 790 million dollars which 14 allied countries combined paid for similar costs. (end)