September 22, 2007

At an open debate sponsored by the Japan National Press Club on September 21, Fukuda Yasuo, Liberal Democratic Party presidential candidate, made clear that a bill to enable the Maritime Self-Defense Force to continue its refueling of U.S. and other coalition countries’ warships in the Indian Ocean will be submitted to the extraordinary Diet session.

With regard to the issue of extending the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law that is due to expire on November 1, Fukuda stated, “In case that it becomes impossible to extend the law due to time constraints, we should not rule out submitting a new law.”

Fukuda for the first time revealed his intention to submit such a bill to the extraordinary Diet session currently taking place and added, “Japan needs to clearly show its stance before the world now.”