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Japan to end naval assist for US refueling

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-14 10:08

TOKYO: Japan will end its naval refueling mission in support of US-led operations in Afghanistan next January, officials said yesterday.

Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said Japan would pull out its two naval ships from the Indian Ocean operation when their current mandate expires in January. The refueling mission began in 2001.

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Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who took office last month, has opposed the mission, saying Japan should take other measures to help Afghanistan restore peace.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano said Japan is studying what other contributions would be best for the region and hoped to come up with a proposal within weeks.

"We believe that civilian support for the people's livelihood in that country, such as agricultural reconstruction, would lead to a fundamental solution to what constitutes the basis of terrorism," Hirano said.

He said Japan wanted to decide on a comprehensive plan before President Barack Obama's scheduled visit on November 12 and 13.

Over the weekend, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada made a surprise visit to the Afghan capital, Kabul, to meet with President Hamid Karzai and other officials to discuss how Japan can help to stabilize the country.

On Monday, Okada told his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi that it is difficult to "simply" extend the mission beyond the January expiration of a law authorizing it.

Echoing Okada's remarks, Kitazawa said: "We have no plans to submit a new bill in the upcoming parliament session to redeploy" the defense personnel for the operations.

Japan has committed to paying all Afghan police salaries for six months and is funding a number of infrastructure, agriculture and education projects.

In a speech last week to foreign journalists in Tokyo, Okada emphasized the need to understand why some people are drawn to the Taliban. He said Japan wanted to address economic issues by providing income support and vocational training programs.

AP-Xinhua