TOKYO, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- 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 U.S.-led military operation in and around Afghanistan, from the Indian
Ocean.
Ishiba's command at 3 p.m. 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.
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Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba
(L) answers a question at the House of Representatives in Tokyo, Nov. 1,
2007. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)
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The MSDF supply ship Tokiwa and destroyer Kirisame
are to set out their journey back home Thursday midnight of Japanese time (7:00
p.m. 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.
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The photo taken on Sept. 13, 2007 shows Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force's supply ship Tokiwa (R) refuels a Pakistani destroyer (L) in the Arabian Sea. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)
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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 U.S. 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 U.S.-led military
operation, the U.S. 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-U.S. 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 U.S.-Japan ally, and U.S. 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 U.S. President
George W. Bush during his U.S.-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.
