|
Japan resumes Afghan mission
24/01/2008 11:41 - (SA)
Yokosuka, Japan - A Japanese naval ship departed on Thursday for the Indian Ocean after the government forced through a resumption of a controversial refuelling mission supporting the US-led "war on terror".
The escort ship Murasame left the Yokosuka port, south of Tokyo. The fuel supply vessel Oumi is scheduled to leave on Friday.
The ships will provide fuel and other support to coalition forces operating in the Indian Ocean as part of the US-led "war on terror" in Afghanistan.
"This activity is highly appreciated by the world," Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba told the naval troops as they boarded the ship. "I expect you to carry out the mission perfectly for the sake of the state and the world."
The two ships, carrying about 340 troops, are expected to arrive in the Indian Ocean in about three weeks and resume the refuelling mission in mid-February.
Japan pulled its ships from the Indian Ocean in November, ending its main contribution to the "war on terror," due to a parliamentary deadlock on the mission.
The opposition argued that Japan, which has been officially pacifist since defeat in World War II, should not take part in "American wars".
With the opposition refusing to back legislation to restart the mission, the government this month took the rare step of using its overwhelming majority in the lower house to override the opposition-led upper house.
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has argued that Japan needs to show that it is contributing to global security and that the mission would help ensure the safe supply of oil.
Japan, the world's second-largest economy, has virtually no natural energy resources and imports almost all of its oil from the Middle East.
Fukuda's predecessor Shinzo Abe resigned in September in part because of his failure to extend the naval mission in the divided parliament.
|
News
