Prime minister confirms SDF units could be sent anywhere abroad

Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro has confirmed that the new Self-Defense
Forces-related law proposed by the government puts no restrictions on areas
where SDF units will operate with the U.S. Forces in a retaliatory war
against terrorism.

He stated this in answer to a question by Japanese Communist Party
Yamaguchi Tomio at the Lower House Budget Committee meeting on October 5.

Yamaguchi pointed out that United Nations resolutions on the terrorist
incident don't call for the use of force in settling the matter. Japan's
government is unable to show any international law to justify the new SDF
law, he said.

So long as U.S.-led military operations against terrorist actions could
cover the entire world, it means that SDF units could be sent anywhere in
support of such actions, the JCP lawmaker said.

Prime Minister Koizumi agreed to this, saying, "It could be said to be
limitless. Because (combat against terrorist attacks) may break out anywhere
in the world." The Cabinet Legislation Bureau director general supported
this, saying that the law has no legal basis on this issue. Both indicated
that the new law is defined to allow SDF units to operate globally together
with the U.S. Forces.

The JCP representative insisted that Japan must contribute to the cause
of eliminating terrorism not by means of military retaliation but by means
of pursuing legal justice. He emphasized that the government must stop
imposing such unconstitutional laws on the Diet.

The three-party coalition government (Liberal Democratic, Komei, and
Conservative parties) plans to railroad the bill through the Diet by the end
of October, if possible. (end)