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http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?np20020318a3.htm [Japanese 'Self-Defense Forces' - in the Arabian Sea. Tis the time's plague....] The Japan Times March 18, 2002 Defense Agency eyes extension of SDF mission The Defense Agency is planning to extend by half a year a Self-Defense Forces operation in the Arabian Sea to provide noncombat support to U.S.-led military action against terrorism, agency sources said Sunday. The government's basic plan for the SDF to provide logistic support to the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan stipulates the duration of the SDF dispatch should be from Nov. 20, 2001, to May 19, 2002. But senior agency officials said an extension is necessary because other forcesin the antiterrorism campaign plan to continue operations. "It is difficult for Japan alone to pull out," a high-ranking agency official said. SDF ships have been dispatched to the Arabian Sea to provide fuel for U.S. and British warships. The agency expects the government to revise the basic plan in early May unless dramatic movements occur such as confirmation of the death or arrest of Osama bin Laden -- the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States -- and Taliban leader Mohammed Omar, the sources said. The agency does not plan to change the nature of the SDF mission and therefore it does not believe revising the basic plan requires Diet approval, the sources said. The agency believes the government need only report the mission extension to parliament, they said. Washington has unofficially asked Japan to extend the duration of SDF cooperation in its antiterrorism campaign, according to Japanese and U.S. sources. However, the planned extension of the SDF operation is expected to stir controversy because the scope of Japan's military cooperation could expand in the event of a U.S. attack on Iraq as part of the war against terrorism. The U.S. has not ruled out the use of force if Iraq continues to reject international inspections to check if it is developing weapons of mass destruction. In Japan, there is a growing concern that the country may be requested to support the attack against Iraq. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Sports - live college hoops coverage http://sports.yahoo.com/ --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
