Japan to withdraw Afghan naval mission

Japan is set to inform the US and Britain later this week that it will withdraw its naval refuelling mission in support of US-led operations in Afghanistan on November 1, a news report said today.

Japanese tankers will stop all refuelling when a special anti-terrorism law authorising the mission expires on November 1, according to a report in the Nikkei, Japan’s largest business daily.

Defence officials were not immediately available to comment on the report.

The reported withdrawal comes amid a deadlock in Japan’s parliament over extending the law, which has allowed Japanese ships to provide logistical support of coalition troops in Afghanistan since 2001.

Japan’s opposition, which dominates parliament’s upper house, opposes an extension.

The ruling coalition, which holds the more powerful lower house, has said it will introduce a new law to enable Japanese ships to return.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who is pro-US, has said the fresh legislation would limit the mission strictly to naval refuelling and supplying water to allies. The current law allows more leeway in what kind of support Japan’s military can provide – a sensitive issue due to the nation’s pacifist constitution.

The new law, however, was not expected to pass parliament in time for the November 1 deadline despite Fukuda’s repeated commitment to renew the mission.

It was unclear when the new law would clear parliament, or when Japan would resend a mission to the Indian Ocean.

After Japan’s withdrawal, only two American tankers and one British tanker will remain in the Indian Ocean to refuel coalition ships, the Nikkei said.