The Yomiuri Shimbun
The government on Wednesday formally decided to dispatch Maritime Self-Defense Force ships to protect Japanese vessels and other ships carrying Japanese nationals or cargo from pirates in waters off Somalia, government officials said.
Following a meeting of the Security Council of Japan held at the Prime Minister's Office, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada ordered the MSDF to prepare for the antipiracy mission under Article 82 of the Self-Defense Forces Law, the officials said.
The government and the ruling parties have defined the latest move as an emergency measure and are eyeing the establishment of a new law regarding general antipiracy measures.
They plan to submit a bill to the Diet in the beginning of March to enable the MSDF to conduct an antipiracy mission off Somalia, according to the officials.
"I want you to prepare for the mission and thoroughly fulfill your duty," Hamada told Takashi Saito, head of the SDF's Joint Staff Office, and Keiji Akahoshi, MSDF chief of staff, on Wednesday morning.
The government plans to create rules of engagement for MSDF units containing guidelines for escorting ships, dealing with pirates and regulations on the use of weapons and other related matters, the officials said.
To prepare for the mission, the MSDF will choose two destroyers to be dispatched and will carry out antipiracy exercises. The MSDF also will set up an improved system of communication between escort vessels and the ministry.
Following these preparations, the government likely will approve an order to be issued by the defense minister to initiate maritime policing operations at a Cabinet meeting in the beginning of March. This will enable the dispatch of MSDF ships to waters off Somalia.
MSDF officials are expected to begin the mission by the end of March, they said.
The two destroyers will protect Japanese-registered vessels, foreign-registered vessels run by Japanese operators and foreign-registered vessels that carry Japanese nationals or Japanese cargo.
The Construction and Transport Ministry is expected to select the vessels to be protected, giving due consideration to the importance of each vessel.
The destroyers will be authorized to issue orders to stop to pirate ships and conduct on-the-spot inspections as the need arises.
The Police Duties Execution Law will be applied regarding the use of weapons by MSDF officials.
(Jan. 29, 2009)
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