Komura takes baton from Koike, to tackle antiterror law extension

Aug 28 07:58 AM US/Eastern

TOKYO, Aug. 27 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Defense Minister Masahiko Komura took over the baton from his short-lived predecessor Yuriko Koike on Tuesday, underlining the need for Japan to continue providing refueling support to U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in the Indian Ocean.

"Under our country's policy of continuing to proactively contribute to the international community's 'fight against terrorism,' there is a need to extend the (antiterrorism) law," Komura said in an address to Defense Ministry and Self-Defense Forces personnel.

"The Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling and other activities based on this law has become an indispensable foundation of maritime intercept activities in the Indian Ocean," he said of the legislation currently set to expire Nov. 1.

The Japanese government plans to present a bill to extend the law to the extraordinary Diet session expected to be convened in September, but Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa and other opposition camp members are opposed to the planned extension.

Komura, also tasked with putting the ministry back on its feet after a recent intra-government battle over the appointment of the successor to outgoing Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya, expressed his wish for all personnel to fulfill their duties "in unison."

In a separate send-off ceremony held earlier at the ministry, Koike, who lasted only 55 days as defense minister, gave a farewell speech in which she made an apparent allusion to her clash with Moriya.

"As I leave this post, I received numerous words and e-mails of encouragement from many people, including uniformed members. I took them precisely as screams over how the Defense Ministry and the SDF should be as a result of understanding my true intentions," Koike said.

In an ensuing farewell speech to Koike, Moriya simply said in representing the ministry personnel, "It's very saddening that the minister will leave the Defense Ministry as of today, but we will work on our tasks united under the new minister while appreciating your accomplishments. We offer our best wishes to Minister Koike."

In the personnel feud, Moriya expressed displeasure at Koike's attempt to pick his successor without fully consulting him. The government eventually named a different individual as Moriya's successor.