Japan lower house votes to extend Afghan mission

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso (C) reviews the Air Self-Defenese Force at Hyakuri Base in Omitama, northeast of Tokyo, on October 19. Japan's lower house of parliament voted Tuesday to extend a controversial naval mission backing US-led operations in Afghanistan.
(AFP/JiJi Press)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081021/wl_asia_afp/japanpoliticsmilitaryafghanistan_081021061355



Tue Oct 21, 2:13 am ET AFP/JiJi Press – Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso (C) reviews the Air Self-Defenese Force at Hyakuri Base in Omitama, … TOKYO (AFP) – Japan's lower house of parliament voted Tuesday to extend a controversial naval mission backing US-led operations in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Taro Aso has vowed to keep Japan in the US-led "war on terror," saying that the officially pacifist country must play a larger role in ensuring global security.

The government-controlled lower house voted largely along party lines to continue for another year the mission providing fuel and other logistical support to US-led forces. The mission was due to expire in January.

The bill now goes to the opposition-controlled upper house, which is expected to reject it. But the more powerful lower house can then override the upper chamber.

The opposition, arguing that Japan should not take part in "American wars," last year forced a temporary halt to the naval mission by refusing to vote on it.

But it has agreed to go ahead this time and vote down the bill -- in effect allowing the mission to be extended -- as it presses Aso to call early elections.

Yutaka Banno, a lawmaker of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, said that Aso must now call snap polls after achieving part of his agenda.

"Prime Minister Aso must dissolve the lower house as soon as possible and ask where the public mandate lies," Banno said.

The opposition submitted an alternative bill under which Japan would provide drinking water to Afghanistan instead of fuel oil to the coalition forces.

But it was voted down by the ruling parties and other opposition parties.

Japan is already one of the largest donors to Afghanistan, pledging 1.24 billion dollars since the fall of the Taliban.

A poll released Monday by the Mainichi Shimbun daily showed that the public was closely divided on whether to extend the naval mission.