Japan Pulls Out Of Afghanistan Coalition Due To “Domestic Politics”
All the Japanese military was doing was refueling ships at sea. Somehow this was all just too much, and just plain wrong, for people in Japan “opposed to the war”. But what are they opposed to really, other than helping keep a country from falling under a violent fascist dictatorship, and doing so at essentially no risk to the lives of Japanese troops? This my friend, is typical of the child-like and knee-jerk reactionary logic of anti-war leftism worldwide.
TOKYO: Japan has refueled its last warship in support of coalition forces in Afghanistan before the mission expires later this week at midnight Thursday, a defense official said, in effect ending Tokyo’s support of U.S.-led operations there. A domestic political movement was behind the decision.
Defense Minister Shegeru Ishiba stressed the need to resume the mission, telling a press conference Tuesday, “As some 40 countries have joined the fight against terrorism, we should think about how foreign countries will evaluate Japan’s absence and whether we can fulfill our responsibilities” in the international community by withdrawing from the mission.
While the government under Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda aims to win parliamentary approval for an alternative bill to continue the mission, there are no prospects for the resumption of the mission in the face of resistance by the opposition camp and falling public confidence in the Defense Ministry due to a series of scandals.
The MSDF supply ship Tokiwa and the destroyer Kirisame are to leave the region after Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba issues a withdrawal order.
According to an MSDF tally, Japan has provided a total of 484,000 kiloliters of oil to vessels from 11 countries, including the United States, Britain and Pakistan, since December 2001 until August this year.
Japanese tankers refueled a coalition warship in the Indian Ocean on Monday and has no further plans to refuel ships before a contentious law authorizing the mission expires Thursday, according to a Defense Ministry official who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing protocol.
Japan, America’s top ally in Asia, has refueled coalition warships in support of U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan since 2001, and U.S. officials have clamored for an extension of the mission. Tokyo also sent humanitarian ground troops to Iraq in 2004-2006.
But Japan’s pro-U.S. ruling coalition has struggled to renew the deployment in the face of a resurgent opposition, which demands that Japan withdraw, and has slowed parliamentary debate on the matter.
An influence-peddling scandal involving former Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya, who acknowledged in parliament Monday that he was treated to golf and other outings by a defense equipment trading company, has also complicated government efforts.
In arguing for an extension, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has argued that pulling out would leave Japan — which depends on the Middle East for almost all of its oil imports — sidelined in the fight against global terrorism.
The government has also introduced a new law to parliament earlier this month that would more strictly limit Japan’s mission. The new bill would allow Japanese ships to refuel and supply water to ships on anti-terrorism patrols, but not to vessels involved in military or rescue operations.
The country’s main opposition, Democratic Party of Japan, says Japan should not be helping U.S. operations in Afghanistan because they were not properly approved by the United Nations.
The Democrats say the mission violates Japan’s war-renouncing constitution and have alleged the oil supplied by Japanese ships was diverted to the U.S. war on Iraq.
The Defense Ministry refused to confirm local media reports that Japan’s defense chief, Shigeru Ishiba, will soon order the withdrawal of Japan’s contingent, saying the ministry still hoped the government would secure a last-minute passage of the law.
Media reports say Tokyo’s fleet could return to Japan in mid-November.
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That is what happens when ‘leaders’ listen to short thought emotional whining instead of doing what is right. There are far too few adults holding positions of political power in the world today.
October 30th, 2007 at 4:53 am
October 30th, 2007 at 5:03 amI guess the spirit of the Samauri has committed hari kari because it has no honor left.
October 30th, 2007 at 6:01 amWhen you become pussified from an easy life, you forget the attitude that got you their. Hence, continue on the cycle to your next appt. of being beotch slapped. These same self indulgent misguided progressives think being anti-nationalism or anti-force is pro peace…
October 30th, 2007 at 6:50 amDon’t buy Japanese cars, hifi, or electronic products.
Let them know tha there is a price to be paid for their
leftist turn.
Don’t even get me started on China!
October 30th, 2007 at 8:03 am“Steve in NC
That is what happens when ‘leaders’ listen to short thought emotional whining instead of doing what is right. There are far too few adults holding positions of political power in the world today.”
That’s called democracy. Be careful what you wish for. We made all these weak liberal democracies in Japan and Germany, now look at them, they can’t muster military strength because they have systems built to not allow them national pride. We built them like this after WW2. Now we want them to be tough again, well too dam late.
October 30th, 2007 at 1:27 pmDMac:
Your argument is a red herring. Both Germany and Japan wrote their own constitutions to keep the militarists and the Nazis from ever comming to power again. Those constitutions were absolutely essential to achieving (successfully) that end.
In recent years, both governments have attempted to modify their constitutions to allow for a more agressive foreign policy and in all cases, those changes were voted down by their respective Parliments.
Japan and Germany have made their own beds. The condition of their constitution today…has nothing to do with the US and much more to do with internal Japanese and German politics.
That’s the beauty of a democratic system. People are allowed to make their own choices…even if that choice is a dumb one.
The only thing that can be blamed on the US with this decision is in giving the Japanese a democratic system in the first place.
October 30th, 2007 at 2:31 pm