MSDF mission halt hurts Japan / Quitting Indian Ocean op risks end to antiterror briefings, protection

Hidemichi Katsumata / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Writer

It appears certain the Maritime Self-Defense Force will be returning home from its Indian Ocean antiterrorism mission in January, as the government has made it clear it will not be submitting a bill to extend the mission during the extraordinary Diet session.

Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada cited a decreased frequency of refueling as the reason for ending the mission, but this reasoning is shortsighted.

Though the administration of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama plans to end refueling operations in January, depriving other nations' fleets of much-needed fuel, the biggest loss arising from the decision is one that hits Japan. As our ships sail out of the Indian Ocean, Japan will be pushed out of a community of nations that shares information about antiterrorism missions.

"I've asked many times why we're discontinuing the mission, but I'm still not convinced [by the answers]," a senior MSDF officer said.

During the month or so since the launch of Hatoyama's administration, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa and other Cabinet members have said only that the DPJ has been against the MSDF mission since it was in opposition and that the mission should now be halted by letting the law approving it expire.

The Cabinet has not offered a clear explanation why the mission should end or why it is problematic.

Looking back at the situation eight years ago, the United States had just suffered the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, in which about 3,000 people, including 24 Japanese, were killed.

An alliance including the United States, Britain and other nations responded with the "war on terror" and began maritime interdiction operations in the Indian Ocean to prevent terrorists from fleeing antiterrorism operations by sea as well as intercepting the transportation of illegal weapons and narcotics.

Japan agreed to refuel participating nations' naval ships as a form of logistical support due to the restrictions the nation faces in terms of the use of its defense forces. It began its operations in November 2001.

Following calls for Japan to be more directly involved in the antiterrorism actions, the government considered taking part in aerial reconnaissance over the ocean using P-3C aircraft.

But the government was forced to drop the plan because securing an air base proved very difficult and use of the aerial patrol could have seen the nation drawn into a controversy over whether Self Defense Forces aircraft should be allowed to use weapons.

The refueling service mission was the only possible option Japan could take if it was to play a role in the war on terrorism.

Over the eight-year period, more than 50 navy ships from 11 countries have participated in the maritime operations. Vessels were intercepted and searched, and on more than a few occasions large quantities of narcotics and weapons were confiscated.

The number of vessels carrying arms and drugs has gradually decreased. Currently, about five countries, including Britain, France, Pakistan and the United States, remain engaged in the seaborne patrols.

The way the operation is conducted also has changed, with the navies switching to a high-profile and very visible presence, aimed at deterring criminals from attempting to run contraband by sea.

The operation in the Indian Ocean has become an undeniably important part of the overall antiterrorism effort.

In June, I had an opportunity to sail with an MSDF supply ship that took part in the mission.

A young MSDF personnel member told me at the time: "The frequency of refueling has declined. But when I heard that a navy ship we provided fuel to went on to confiscate narcotics, I felt we were contributing to international efforts."

The SDF has dispatched liaison officers to the U.S. Forces Central Command in Tampa, Fla., and the multinational navy headquarters in Bahrain. The SDF also has exchanged security information with more than 40 countries that have troops involved in the war on terrorism, providing and receiving detailed briefings on the situations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.

The MSDF has started negotiations with the United States and allied nations in an effort to secure an agreement that would permit SDF officers to remain at the two command headquarters where the briefings occur, even after the MSDF's ships have sailed home from the Indian Ocean.

But a senior MSDF officer noted the harsh reality of the mission ending, saying, "It's common sense within the military that nations don't provide information to a country that isn't sweating with them."

But Japan stands to lose even more than that.

Five years ago, the Takasuzu, a supertanker owned by Nippon Yusen K.K. (NYK Line), was targeted by a suicide bomber in the Persian Gulf. The multinational naval force came to the aid of the tanker, protecting it from the danger, an act that resulted in three foreign soldiers losing their lives.

At the time, the U.S. Navy issued a comment that it was a matter of course to protect vessels of countries that join in the antiterrorism activities.

The government should not forget that the Indian Ocean is a vital sea lane for Japan, which is heavily reliant on imports from the Middle East for crude oil.

Following the recent change of government, an examination of the worth of the eight-year mission is meaningful. But the withdrawal of the MSDF from the Indian Ocean will, unavoidably, work against our national interests.