Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law extended for one year

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Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law extended for one year

The Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law, which enables the Maritime Self-Defense Force to refuel U.S. warships in the Indian Ocean, was for the third time extended for one year by the majority vote of the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties on October 27 at the House of Councilors plenary session.

The Japanese Communist, Democratic, Social Democratic, and People's New parties voted against this.

Before the vote, JCP representative Ogata Yasuo at an October 26 Upper House Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting criticized the government for using the MSDF assistance to the U.S. for a purpose different from what the government had originally explained in the Diet.

In October 2005, Defense Agency Director General Ono Yoshinori in the Diet stated that the U.S. warships that the MSDF gives assistance to are assigned to block terrorists coming out of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Ogata, however, revealed that the U.S. combined task force (CTF)-150 that receives MSDF support is engaged in activities in an area bordering 12 countries. He stated, "The MSDF has been supporting the U.S. maritime activities aimed at blocking terrorists coming out from countries other than the two."

DA chief Kyuma Fumio insisted that the oil supplied by the MSDF has never been used for other purposes, only citing "the trust between Japan and the United States" as the ground that the MSDF activities are consistent with the aim of the law.

Ogata also criticized the government for having no criteria to judge when it should end the MSDF activities.

Referring to U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Jack Crouch's remarks that the SDF's overseas activities are still inadequate, Ogata pointed out that without such criteria the government will be inevitably forced to continue the support indefinitely as long as the U.S. wages its war on terror.
- Akahata, October 27, 2006