(China Daily)
Updated: 2007-11-06 07:22

With the expiration on Thursday of the anti-terrorism special measures law, the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) was ordered to return to Japan after six years of refueling operations in the Indian Ocean in support of the US-led war against terror.

Japanese government has proposed new legislation to the Diet aimed at continuing the refueling activities. But the bill has met with stiff opposition from the Democratic Party of Japan (DP) and its allies, making the prospects of the bill's passage dim.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda sought a face-to-face meeting with DP leader Ichiro Ozawa to get his cooperation on securing passage of the bill. But compromise appears to be out of the question.

The government and the ruling coalition argue that Japan has a duty to assist in global efforts to prevent terrorism. We, too, believe that Japan must fulfill its duties as a member of the international community and are happy to learn the countries that received fuel from Japan were grateful.

Still, that is insufficient reason to continue the mission without proper debate.

First, we need to carefully examine Japan's actual performance over the past six years.

The Upper House election in July left the opposition camp with a majority of seats in the Upper House.

As a result, the government felt obliged to start disclosing information on MSDF activities regarding the refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. Had the ruling parties maintained their majority in the Upper House, they very likely would have decided to extend the law without offering an adequate explanation. We wish to make good use of this new political situation.

There are suspicions that fuel supplied by Japan was diverted for ships engaged in the Iraq War. Did the Defense Ministry try to hide the fact? As a matter of course, it is the Diet's duty to give priority to clarifying such suspicions and determine the responsibility of the parties concerned.

As shocking as it was, the cozy relationship that former Vice-Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya developed with an executive of a company that had business dealings with the ministry also came to light. During this period, Moriya was in charge of defense policy.

Some people have expressed concern that the situation could have a negative effect on Japan-US relations and harm Japan's reputation as a member of the world community.

However, Japan must not continue to implement a policy whose legitimacy is wavering domestically simply on the grounds that it should keep in step with the rest of the world.

Although we simply say "war on terror", since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, the US-led military operations and strategies adopted by the United Nations have varied significantly. But the effort drastically went off the track with the US invasion of Iraq.

The administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi supported the US action and dispatched self-defense forces personnel in defiance of the opposition parties and public opinion. The next administration, headed by Shinzo Abe, did nothing to rectify the situation. Nor has the Fukuda administration.

Here lies the greatest cause for the argument to go haywire. How should Japan have involved itself or refrained from taking part in the war on terror at various junctures? What basic principles should it have stood by in each case? The government has continued to avoid discussions on these basic points.

One month after September 11, the US-led coalition targeted Afghanistan's Taliban regime, which harbored Osama bin Laden, the accused mastermind of the terrorist attacks, and other terrorists. Most countries supported the action and took part in the fighting. Japan's refueling operation was part of that effort.

Later, as the likelihood grew that the United States would invade Iraq, we warned that if that happened, the refueling activities in the Indian Ocean could indirectly support the initiative in Iraq. As such, we argued that would fundamentally change the nature of the mission. Recent suspicions that fuel supplied by Japan was diverted for the Iraq War show our fears were correct.

Iraq unraveled quickly after the invasion began. Terrorist attacks occurred right and left, intensified by growing antagonism between religious sects. Iraq is now on the verge of civil war. Strong anti-US sentiment spread within the Islamic world, and the Middle East situation has become far more unstable. Terrorism claimed new victims in Britain, Spain and Indonesia.

There is no denying the situation in Iraq is dire. But can we really call it "a war on terror" that is widely supported by the international community? Japan's failure is that it supported the Iraq War out of consideration for the US administration of President George W. Bush. Japan should not have taken part in a war that has neither the broad support of the international community nor a just cause.

The Ground SDF, which was dispatched to Samawah in southern Iraq, somehow made it home without incurring any casualties. However, the Air SDF is still active in Iraq. The ASDF must be withdrawn as soon as possible.

Once that is done, the government should clearly state what role Japan should play in the "war on terror". If Japan is to support Afghanistan's reconstruction and efforts to prevent terrorism, what would be the most effective way for Japan to proceed? By having such discussions, it should be easier to develop a consensus.

Is refueling the only way to support Afghanistan's reconstruction? Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura used the expression "low risk, high return" to describe refueling operations. He probably means that while the mission is relatively safe, it is appreciated by countries receiving fuel, thereby allowing Japan to save face.

Even though it has been six years since September 11, Afghanistan is anything but stable. The security situation has steadily deteriorated. The situation in neighboring Pakistan is also very unstable. It can be said that global efforts to effect change have reached a major turning point. There are even voices calling for ways to seek peace with Taliban moderates. Perhaps there is a need to once again engage the world community in a discussion of what kind of framework for support it should build.

The role Japan should play should also be considered within this larger context.

The Asahi Shimbun

(China Daily 11/06/2007 page11)