Oil MSDF provided for U.S. forces in Indian Ocean needs to be investigated: Shii

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Oil MSDF provided for U.S. forces in Indian Ocean needs to be investigated: Shii

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on January 15 stated that it is a matter of course for Japan to withdraw from the Indian Ocean the Maritime Self-Defense Force engaged in operations in support of the U.S-led anti-terrorism war.

“How the oil the MSDF provided for U.S. vessels was used needs to be revealed. The new government is responsible for investigating whether or not it might have been used for operations in the Iraq war,” said Shii.

He stated that the JCP also calls for the continued SDF dispatch to the waters off Somalia to be ended since its anti-piracy operation could lead to the use of force. “An anti-piracy operation should be a matter of police activity,” he said.

The JCP chair said, “The demand of the public is the power that helped realize the government’s order to withdraw the MSDF from the Indian Ocean. This was achieved because they raised the strong opinion that military support of the Afghan War does not help solve Afghan issues.”

Concerning the civil assistance to Afghanistan that the DPJ is considering, Shii said, “Such support must be clearly separated from the operations of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan. If connected with their operations, civil support might be linked with military activities.”

- Akahata, January 16, 2010