Japan Press Weekly

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2008 January 23 - 29 [SDF]

MSDF ships leave for Indian Ocean to resume refueling operations

Based on the new anti-terrorism special measures law that the ruling bloc forcibly enacted in January, the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s escort ship and supply ship left Japan on January 24 and 25 for the Indian Ocean to resume their refueling operations.

After the old special measures law expired last November, some government officials even aired views that the government has no choice but to give up dispatching the MSDF again by enacting a new special measures law.

The Fukuda Cabinet, however, extended the extraordinary Diet session twice and enacted the law by force. The public is strongly opposed to sending the MSDF abroad.

In this situation, Defense Minister Ishiba Shigeru is trying to publicize government efforts to “ease public concern” over the possible diversion of oil into U.S. operations in Iraq.

However, military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Maritime Interdiction Operation that the U.S. forces are carrying out in the Indian Ocean are inseparable. However hard the government may try to ease public concern, it is impossible to prevent oil from being diverted for combat operations.

In fact, Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura Nobutaka in a Diet committee meeting last November made clear that the MSDF may provide oil to any foreign vessel as far as the ship is engaged in the Maritime Interdiction Operation, stating, “There will be no problem, even if the ship is undertaking other missions at the same time.”

The government has also begun emphasizing that the MSDF mission will “contribute to stabilizing the living conditions of the public” (Defense Minister Ishiba) by ensuring security in the Indian Ocean where many Japanese oil tankers are passing through. Machimura recently said that sending the MSDF to the Indian Ocean “serves Japan’s interests.”

Such an argument, however, runs counter to reality.

U.S. military operations in Afghanistan kill many innocent civilians, giving rise to retaliation and further aggravating the situation. On January 14, a suicide attack took place at a luxury hotel in Kabul.

The Karzai administration is calling for a stop to airstrikes and engaged in a peace process by promoting dialogue with armed groups, including the Taliban. No U.S. ally has responded to U.S. requests of reinforcement.

The recent MSDF dispatch clearly contravenes the goal of eradicating terrorism as well as the world current calling for peace.