Lower house panel passes bill to extend Japan's refueling mission

Tuesday 21st October, 11:33 AM JST

TOKYO —

A bill to continue Japan’s refueling mission in support of U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in and near Afghanistan through to next year passed the House of Representatives Tuesday, with the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan shying away from using tactics to delay a vote to resist the bill.

The opposition-controlled House of Councillors is likely to swiftly vote down the bill, leading the lower house, controlled by the ruling parties, to hold an overriding second vote for final Diet approval of the bill at the end of the month. Given that Prime Minister Taro Aso is moving ahead to clear a number of his priorities since the launch of his administration in late September, speculation is growing that he will decide on when to dissolve the lower house to call an election possibly by the end of the month.
The government-proposed bill is aimed at extending the temporary law authorizing Japan’s controversial refueling mission in the Indian Ocean for one year beyond its expiration on Jan. 15, 2009.

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4 Comments

Thenewfront at 07:36 AM JST - 21st October

Japan as usual helps out unselfishly.
soldave at 09:21 AM JST - 21st October

Japan as usual bends over unselfishly
Shumatsu_Samurai at 05:26 AM JST - 22nd October

As usual someone bashes Japan for helping others.
Angelo at 10:26 PM JST - 22nd October

How about the Diet is discussing to resolve the underlying problems and not the symptoms? Any assistance for a good cause is fine, therefore we have to ask what is the good cause? It is giving as much right to Palestinians on their historical land as much the US and the rest of the English speaking world grants to Israel. Of course I don't see any major financial institution ran by a Palestinian unlike names such as Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers etc...nor a major ethnic Palestinian voting block in the US unlike the Israeli ones. But do we have to keep worrying about terror and war because of this imbalance for the rest of our lives? Not to mention the tax money and travel inconvenience it costs us...