Rather the DPJ (Minshuto) are more interested in parsing the particulars of what Japan does and who approved of it.  Basically it is all down to semantics at this point.  The DPJ has said that A) any continuation of the Indian ocean mission must have UN approval, and that it would rather send ground troops to Afghanistan to participate in the PRT's (Provincial Reconstruction Teams) working with the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) which does have a UN mandate.  But the US will have little dificulty ginning up a UN mandate to cover the past and future Indian ocean operations, as we have already steered a resolution praising the Japanese mission through the UNSC (United Nations Security Council).  So Ozawa and the DPJ may end up gaining nothng on the naval front while giving the Fukuda administration a bludegon to use against them or worse allow the deployment to Afghanistan and lay the blame for the inevitable casualties at the feet of the DPJ, which while nasty would not be all that untrue, politics is a nasty business at the best of times and these certainly aren't the best of times as far as politics in Japan are concerned.

The Asahi Shimbun on the need for a UN mandate: Minshuto: Refueling must have U.N. OK.

     In a counterproposal to the government's new anti-terrorism bill, Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) on Tuesday offered to support such missions only when they have U.N. approval. Otherwise, the Self-Defense Forces should limit their role to civilian activities.

 The Yomuiri Shimbun on the problems with the DPJ's counter proposal: DPJ's counterproposal unsatisfactory.

     The Democratic Party of Japan has drafted the outline of a bill that constitutes the party's counterproposal to the government's bill for a new antiterrorism law to allow the Maritime Self-Defense Force to resume refueling activities in the Indian Ocean.

     Its content, however, makes it unsatisfactory as a workable counterproposal.

     The draft outline stipulates that the nation would dispatch Self-Defense Forces and civilian personnel to Afghanistan to participate in provincial reconstruction team (PRT) activities linked with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in four areas, including food production, medical services and transportation.

     Regarding the ISAF, which DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa has called for Japan to participate in, the draft outline says this country will not participate in ISAF activities because the activities have yet to be proved effective.

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