Working around legal constraints,
Japan sending ships to aid U.S. efforts
By David Allen and Chiyomi Sumida, Okinawa bureau
Japan’s Defense Agency announced it will send an Aegis-class
destroyer and three other ships to the Indian Ocean in support of the U.S. war on
terrorism.
It is the first time the Maritime Self-Defense Force has been sent
abroad in a military mission with the United States, and the move is sparking debate
within Japan.
The country’s constitution specifically forbids it from using
military equipment and personnel for anything but the country’s defense.
To get around that sticking point, Defense Agency Chief Gen Nakatani
is ordering the dispatch of the three destroyers and a tanker to accompany the aircraft
carrier USS Kitty Hawk and other U.S. ships as an “intelligence and surveillance
mission.”
A Defense Agency source said about 900 MSDF members will be aboard
the four ships. Their stay in the Indian Ocean is open-ended, he said.
“Detailed planning is now under way,” an MSDF spokesman
said. “We have not yet decided as to which vessels to send, how many or when.”
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s ruling coalition is preparing
legislation to submit to the Diet on Thursday that would loosen the restraints on the
MSDF, allowing it not only to collect intelligence, but also to provide medical and
logistics support. For example, it would allow the MSDF tanker to refuel U.S. Navy ships.
Koizumi is pushing the limits of Japan’s military in an effort
to avoid criticism the country received in 1991 for its inability to do more than
contribute $13 billion to help cover the expenses of the U.S.-led coalition in the Persian
Gulf.
He developed a seven-point plan to allow the Self-Defense Forces play
a wider role in providing rear-echelon support to the U.S. forces. MSDF ships already are
escorting U.S. warships as they leave Japanese ports for undisclosed locations. On Monday,
an MSDF ship and helicopter escorted the amphibious ship USS Fort McHenry as it left
Sasebo Naval Base.
MSDF officials say they are well-equipped and trained to participate
in any joint mission with the U.S. Navy. Last year, they participated in 42 joint-training
exercises, an MSDF spokesman said.
Japan also participated in Rim of the Pacific exercises with the
navies of the United States, Australia, Canada and several other nations.
Besides the MSDF, the air and ground arms of the Self-Defense Force
also will play a part, according to Japanese media reports.
Ground Self-Defense Force medical troops will be sent to field
hospitals in the interior of Pakistan, according to the Okinawa Times. Transportation
units also might be used to ferry supplies to U.S. troops.
Air Self-Defense Force transports might be used to ferry supplies.
The ASDF also is reviewing to send reconnaissance aircraft to the Middle East.
Back to September stories
Page Two news roundup
Stories from August, 2001
Stories from July, 2001
Stories from June, 2001
Stories from May, 2001
Stories from April, 2001
Stories from March, 2001
Stories from February,2001
Stories from January, 2001
Stories from December, 2000
Stories from November, 2000
Stories from October, 2000
Stories from August and September, 2000
Stories from June and July, 2000
Home |
