Peter Alford, Tokyo correspondentAugust 31, 2007
THE US and its NATO allies are leaning heavily on the Abe Government and opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa to continue Japan's involvement with Operation Enduring Freedom in and around Afghanistan.
But Mr Ozawa, who has the numbers to frustrate the necessary legislation in the upper house, told German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday that the Democratic Party of Japan believed the operation lacked proper UN authorisation and Japan's involvement was therefore illegitimate.
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said yesterday the US "would strongly encourage" Japan to keep its refuelling vessels in the Indian Ocean theatre where they support "interdiction by US, German and other warships of possible aid to the Taliban and al-Qa'ida".
This is at least the third occasion that the US has publicly stressed the importance of Japan's role since the DPJ won the July 29 upper house election and Mr Ozawa vowed to block renewal of the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law.
The law enabling Japan's Self Defence Forces to join the blockade runs out on November 1 and with the Diet resuming sittings on September 10, time is already tight.
Though Shinzo Abe's Government can use its two-thirds majority in the house of representatives to override the upper house, the Liberal Democratic Party is reluctant to exercise that measure in support of an unpopular bill.
Opinion polls show that Mr Ozawa's stand has firm public support, but his party is divided on the strategy.
Although the DPJ previously voted against the law, former leader Seiji Maehara opposes using the upper house to frustrate Japan's security commitments.
The Japanese refuelling effort frees up US logistical support ships and is symbolically important to the US-led Enduring Freedom effort. Mr Morrell appeared to express Pentagon frustration at being forced to deal with the third Japanese defence minister in two months on the matter. Fumi Kyuma resigned on July 3, Yuriko Koiko was left out of the new cabinet on Monday and Masahiko Komura replaced her.
"I do know that (Defence Secretary Robert Gates) recently met with the second minister of defence (Ms Koiko) but I think that was a couple of weeks ago ... I guess that's inoperative now."
An aide to Mr Ozawa at yesterday's meeting quoted Ms Merkel as saying "Japan should have heavier responsibility to play a more active role in diplomacy and the international community."
Mr Ozawa responded: "I have long believed we should be proactively involved in activities the UN has authorised. We think of the issue of the Indian Ocean from such a viewpoint."
However, his party was hard-pressed on another front yesterday. The DPJ's star in the upper house election, Yumiko Himei, has been accused by a Tokyo news magazine of conducting a sizzling affair with one of her constituents, a school teacher.
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