Working out new Afghan measures no easy task for Japan

TOKYO —

Following Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada’s surprise visit to Afghanistan earlier this month, the Japanese government is stepping up its efforts to work out measures that can benefit the lives of the people in the conflict-ravaged country.

But enhancing assistance is apparently not an easy task, with Japan’s presence likely to wane with the planned end in January of the refueling mission in support of U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in and around Afghanistan and amid deteriorating security conditions there.

‘‘The security situation is deteriorating even in Kabul. It is difficult to expand contributions that would actually let (local people) know that Japanese people are working in the country,’’ an official at the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s International Cooperation Bureau said.

Since the Sept 11 terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001, Japan has pledged a total of $2 billion in Afghan assistance—the third-largest amount after the United States and Britain—for security, infrastructure, education and other fields.

Japan has also sent experts on agriculture and other areas from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. About 50 Japanese people are still engaging in assistance activities in Afghanistan, although the number is being kept to minimum due to the security situation.

As for infrastructure assistance, Kabul International Airport’s international terminal was completed in November last year, with Japanese company officials overseeing the project undertaken by local staff from outside the country.

So far, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Okada have stressed the need for vocational training to prevent former Taliban members in Afghanistan from turning to the insurgent group again, given that many people join because they have no other way of supporting themselves.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai also told Okada during the Japanese minister’s one-day visit to Kabul that vocational training is needed as part of efforts to promote peace in Afghanistan.

But the ministry official said that if the government plans to enhance vocational training, it should also consider ensuring job opportunities to people who have undergone such training.

‘‘We would have to create jobs through road construction and other projects. But this will cost quite a lot of money,’’ she said.

Another senior Foreign Ministry official said there is ‘‘no end’’ to the need for civilian aid in Afghanistan, but noted that ‘‘what an unarmed person can do will naturally be limited.’‘

While ministry officials believe Japan’s non-military contributions have been welcomed by local people, some are wary that ending the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s refueling mission in the Indian Ocean, which has generally continued since the end of 2001, and focusing on economic assistance would draw criticism that it was ‘‘returning to checkbook diplomacy.’‘

The involvement of the Self-Defense Forces had a ‘‘symbolic’’ meaning in the U.S.-led coalition efforts, the official of the International Cooperation Bureau admitted. ‘‘We cannot deny the impact to be caused by withdrawal.’‘

Japan had been criticized internationally for lagging behind in terms of offering personnel during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, despite disbursing some $13 billion.

The SDF’s activities, especially in regard to overseas deployment, are a sensitive issue under Japan’s war-renouncing Constitution.

Given the restrictions imposed on SDF activities, Japan has chosen to send the MSDF to provide fuel and water to foreign naval vessels participating in operations to interdict ships linked to terrorism in the Indian Ocean.

The activities have often been seen in the government as ‘‘ideal’’ for the SDF overseas as it has been easy to ensure the safety of the members and also because it has been welcomed by other countries.

But a policy change is expected now that the Democratic Party of Japan, which has been insisting on the need to offer more support for people’s livelihoods rather than continuing the refueling mission, formed a new government in September.

Okada has also said that the refueling activities have ‘‘nearly fulfilled’’ the SDF’s role as seen in the fact that the MSDF has carried out refueling only about seven or eight times per month recently.

But it is uncertain whether enhancing aid to civilians will make up for the withdrawal of the refueling mission.

‘‘I don’t think this is the kind of issue where it can be said, please allow us (to end the mission) because we will double aid to civilians,’’ the official said.

Meanwhile, an official at a Fukuoka-based nongovernmental organization, which is engaging in medical assistance and activities to restore agriculture in Afghanistan, said that he basically welcomes the new DPJ-led government’s idea of enhancing civilian aid.

‘‘Under the previous government, I think Japan’s assistance to Afghanistan, including the refueling mission, was conducted by gauging the United States’ policy,’’ Mitsuji Fukumoto, secretary general of the Peshawar-kai, said.

‘‘The basic principle should be that we conduct assistance by siding with the people of Afghanistan, who are suffering most,’’ he said.

But at the same time he proposed the government focus more on restoring agriculture, for example through irrigation works for drought-stricken areas, rather than enhancing vocational training.

‘‘Eighty-percent of Afghan people are farmers and many Taliban members are also originally farmers. That means that restoring agriculture would help them live their lives even without forcing them to receive vocational training. If they can find ways to eat, the security situation will stabilize,’’ he said.

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6 Comments

Foxie at 01:13 PM JST - 16th October

Excellent plan! People who can work and eat are happy people. Investing in agriculture is vital for those people.
nandakandamanda at 03:10 PM JST - 16th October

There is no plan?

Surely they should have had a tangible plan first, and only then talk about stopping the refuelling mission.
rajakumar at 03:22 PM JST - 16th October

There is war in afghanistan,because of scarcity of food production/exports. Afghans must solve these woes,or wars will just carry on.
rajakumar at 03:26 PM JST - 16th October

Afghanistan is the perfect drug(opium).

Afghans must get off their perfect drugs and move on to the hands that feed them,growing food in nature.
Sarge at 04:26 PM JST - 16th October

Heck, even Nancy Pelosi is expressing regret at the DPJ's decision not to extend the refueling mission.
HonestDictator at 02:30 AM JST - 17th October

Oops, seems he forgot about the issue of corruption in the Afghan government too. Lets not forget that any aid or assistance to a shaky trustless crew may never reach its intended target. If they're going to send aid of any kind, start with education and probably a bit of morality training.