|
Fukuda pleads with opposition
09/10/2007 15:51 - (SA)
Tokyo - Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda pleaded with the opposition on Tuesday not to make Japan a bystander in the US-led "war on terror" as he argued to extend a naval mission in the Indian Ocean.
The opposition won control of one house of parliament in July and has vowed to defeat government proposals to extend the naval mission providing fuel and logistical support to US-led forces in Afghanistan.
The opposition has ignored a government compromise that would stop refuelling operations backing combat troops and restrict support to ships policing the Indian Ocean.
Addressing a parliamentary committee, Fukuda said officially pacifist Japan, the world's second largest economy, needed to contribute to global security.
Saying the international community was united after the September 11 attacks on the United States, Fukuda said: "How can we sit back as a bystander?"
"Japan's withdrawal would give an impression that the country would not cooperate in the event of an emergency," Fukuda said.
US warns Japan
"Please, at any cost, let us continue these activities. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to ask the opposition to provide support."
Fukuda's predecessor Shinzo Abe, who favoured expanding the role of Japan's military, resigned last month faced with opposition refusals to extend the Indian Ocean mission.
The United States has warned that relations with its key ally would suffer if it ends the mission.
Fukuda said Japan faced international criticism for not committing personnel to the first Gulf War, even though Tokyo bankrolled it by about $13.5bn - 20% of the international contribution.
"We felt powerless at not being able to do anything when the international community took concerted action after Iraq invaded Kuwait in the Gulf War," said Fukuda.
But the opposition has insisted that Japan should not participate in "American wars" and has alleged that fuel for the mission has been diverted to US operations in Iraq. It has stayed mum on the compromise offer.
"We cannot make any response before it is approved by the cabinet," opposition lawmaker Kenji Yamaoka said on Monday.
'Many compromises'
Analysts said the opposition was hoping to scuttle the government's agenda in hopes of forcing Fukuda to call early elections.
"Opposition parties are going to use the issue as leverage to press the ruling coalition," said Takehiko Yamamoto, professor of international politics at Waseda University.
"They will try to win as many compromises as possible from the ruling parties with an eye on the timing of general elections," he said.
|
News
