Aso orders preparations to send warship to fight piracy off Somalia
TOKYO —
Prime Minister Taro Aso on Friday ordered Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada to to speed up preparations for a possible deployment of a Self-Defense Forces warship on an antipiracy mission to waters off Somalia, Hamada told reporters.
After building a consensus within the ruling coalition, the government may issue an order for ‘‘maritime policing activity’’ in line with the Self-Defense Forces Law as early as in January with a view to providing protection to Japanese ships from pirate activities from sometime in February.
If realized, it would be the first dispatch overseas by Japan of a defense force ship for policing activities at sea.
Maritime policing activity under the law is restricted basically to safeguarding Japanese-registered ships or Japanese nationals under threat. A dispatched defense force ship is not sanctioned to respond to an attack on a non-Japanese ship that has nothing to do with the life and assets of Japanese.
The government is expected to consider preparing for legislation that would allow defense ships to act even under such circumstances.
A growing number of nations are sending navy ships to fight pirates near the lawless East African country, with Japan’s neighbor and sometime rival China dispatching three vessels on Friday.
Aso, speaking with reporters late Thursday, called for Japan to revise the law so it can also guard foreign vessels but held out the option of sending ships that for now have a limited role.
“Japan should take action in a hurry,” Aso said. “We had better consider revising the law, but that will take time. If we have to hasten things, then we should take a defensive posture on the sea.”
The U.N. Security Council has given nations a one-year mandate to act inside Somalia to stop the rampant piracy in the Gulf of Aden, part of the Suez Canal route from Europe to Asia.
Some shipping companies have chosen to travel around Africa, a longer and more expensive route, to avoid the increasingly brazen pirate attacks.
Wire reports
Order by Time Order by Popularity
16 Comments
Login to comment
0
telecasterplayer
Let me get this straight: Japanese ships can't handle those mean ol' greenpeace anti-whaler, but the JMSDF is going to handle Khat-crazed hardened pirates off the lawless coast of Africa? Yeah, this is going to go well.
0
ptolemy
Wow Aso is just itching to send the SDF into a fight somewhere. I think he's trying to prove his manhood, much like a male bird of paradise does before it gets its butt kicked by a rival. I've got 2000 yen and a case of beer on the pirates.
0
some14some
Aso will send them to rough waters & will resign peacefully then.
0
bdiego
Every time another country sends their warships to the Gulf of Aden, I have "Team America's" song playing in my head. Finally people are taking piracy seriously.
0
borscht
Cool. Let the pirates know that non-Japanese ships can be taken right from under the watchful noses of the Japanese Navy and they will do nothing about it. What could possibly go wrong? So, will more ships start being registered in Tokyo instead of Panama?
0
bobbafett
"Japanese destroyed opens fire on Chinese merchant ship confusing it for a pirate boat"
On-no
0
norinrad21
I read the pirates utilize as much as 60% of their earnings to buy faster ships, satellite phones and other equipment as they continue to terrorize that part of the world....they are a clever bunch hehehe
0
presto345
Yeah. They got away with a few pairs of shoes and fuel for their boats from a Chinese vessel the other day. They are flexible in their demands. = = Aso is on the right track, though. The more presence of naval force, the safer the region will become.
0
OssanAmerica
Yes, if you believe that unarmed commercial vessels are the same as armed warships, yes you got it straight.
0
NuckinFutz
I'm gonna laugh my ass off when the pirates grab a Japanese warship and hold it for ransom!
0
kwatt
Today China dispatched 3 battle ships to off Somalia. These ships carry heavy guns and missiles. They really will shoot and sink Pirate's boats to protect ships and oil tankers that belong to China. China is really mad about it. Japan may be a little mad about it.
0
mushroomcloud
Expect Japan to set sail for the Gulf of Aden shortly, as she follows China's lead.
Japan would have done nothing if it weren't for the Chinese spurring them on.
0
telecasterplayer
This just in, Aso misread the situation. He thought he was sending the sailors to take "pilates" classes.
0
UnagiDon
Whose lead was China following? US? India?
0
Wolfpack
Japan should pitch in against the pirates just as the US, China, French, and others are. They still have an export led economy so it is good to hear that Japan is sending some ships. Given China's increasing asertiveness, it's not a bad idea from a national defense stand point either.
0
mushroomcloud
"Whose lead was China following? US? India?"
Answer: The UNSC. Now, all of the permanent members are joined together for this fight with UN Security Council authorization. Maybe some of the lesser, temporary members (Japan) will follow suit soon.
Back to top