Font size: 
The main opposition Democratic Party is attacking the government over an incident exposed by a civic group called Peace Depo, which obtained the information from the United Sates through its information disclosure system.
The group claimed that on Feb. 25, 2003, the Japanese naval support vessel Tokiwa supplied 800,000 gallons of oil to U.S. replenishment ship the USNS Pecos at the entrance of the Persian Gulf. The ship then allegedly refueled the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk and a cruiser called Cawpens on the same day.
Within 24 hours after the refueling, the claim continues, the USS Kitty Hawk entered the Persian Gulf, supposedly a tactical theater for the emerging war in Iraq, rather than the Indian Ocean which was tactically relevant to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, to which the Japanese had committed their assistance.
To back the allegation, the group claimed there was no reference to OEF in the USS Kitty Hawk's annual command report, though it mentioned its engagements in Operation Southern Watch in Iraq and Operation Iraqi Freedom, both not within the operational framework of OEF.
"The diversion must have been known to top leaders," believes military analyst Motoaki Kamiura. He explains that, unlike Japan, the U.S. military does not clearly distinguish between OEF in Afghanistan and OIF in Iraq, as both operations are commanded by the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. Besides, the Japanese government cannot be responsible for the activities of U.S. warships that receive oil from U.S. supply ships that are refueled by Japanese ships, he says.
The naval operation by Japan's Maritime Self Defense Force was the implementation of a law called the Anti-Terror Special Legislation, passed in the months after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States. The law is aimed specifically at supporting the multinational forces engaged in a maritime interdiction operation in the Indian Ocean in connection with Operation Enduring Freedom led by U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Thus, the diversion, if proved true, could be interpreted in Japan as a major breach.
Government ministers including Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda have repeatedly denied the diversion of Japan-supplied fuel to the Iraq war effort, though Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba admitted that the USS Kitty Hawk did enter the Persian Gulf on the day in question, immediately after being refueled with oil originally supplied by a Japanese naval vessel.
Under the law, Japan has supplied oil and water to military vessels and helicopters from 11 nations operating in the area, costing the government hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars. The mission has been extended three times, with the current mandate to expire on Nov. 1. In the current Diet the ruling coalition does not have a majority in the Upper House, which means it faces a tough political challenge to keep the operation intact.
Owing to the parliament's timetable, the government has already missed the deadline to extend the naval mission. It is trying instead to pass a new law, purportedly more conciliatory to the opposition. The draft bill is to be submitted to Parliament this week.
There are some concerns about Japan's eventual withdrawal from the Indian Ocean, however temporary, pending the enforcement of the new law, if it would ever materialize.
"It would undermine Japan's international credibility by weakening anti-terror cooperation and abandoning the sea lane protection," points out Masashi Nishihara, director of the Research Institute for Peace and Security. He warns that the Japan-U.S. alliance could also be damaged. Mindful of that eventuality, Prime Minister Fukuda has repeated his position to maintain the refueling activity. Defense Minister Ishiba urged opposition politicians in a TV talk show Sunday to focus on what is truly in the national interest.
But the opposition Democrats are apparently poised to exploit the issue for political mileage as they focus on a possible power shift in the next general elections for the Lower House. The party's popularity is now higher than the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in some polls following its victory in the Upper House of the Diet in September.
