Both From the Yomuiri Shimbun:  New antiterrorism law to last 1 year.

     The government decided Monday that a bill to establish a new law to continue the refueling mission by the Maritime Self-Defense Force in the Indian Ocean will include a one-year time limit.

     The new law, which would replace the Antiterrorism Law due to expire on Nov. 1, will not contain a clause stating that the government must periodically report on the MSDF's activities to the Diet.

       The rational for the new law is clear, but the editors at the Yomuiri and I are in agreement that a permanent solution is needed.  Japan is hamstrung by the need to pass a law in order to respond to each new crisis, and needs tp put in place a permanent law spelling out when and when not the SDF can become involved.

Japan mustn't quit war on terrorism.

     Japan must not abandon the war that the international community is waging against terrorism. It is a matter of course for the government and the ruling camp to do their utmost to quickly establish new legislation to replace the current Antiterrorism Law. The main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, for its part, will be tested on how it handles a bill for the new law.

     The government has submitted to the Diet the bill for the new antiterrorism law to allow the Maritime Self-Defense Force to continue its refueling mission in the Indian Ocean.

     The new law will limit the Self-Defense Force's antiterrorism support activities to the MSDF's refueling and water supply mission. The subjects of the mission will be limited to other countries' vessels participating in maritime interdiction activities to prevent the movement of terrorists and the transportation of weapons and drugs.

Permanent law needed.

     The government initially sought a two-year term for the new law. However, in consideration of New Komeito's view that having it enforced for one year would make it easier to maintain civilian control over the MSDF mission, the government set the term of the law at one year.

     But for Japan to properly tackle the war on terrorism, which will be a long and difficult task, the term of the law that governs the nation's efforts for the war should be longer. After the law is established, creating a permanent law regarding the overseas dispatch of the SDF likely will become a topic of discussion.

     Of course this would all be a moot point if the Japanese consitution is amended to remove article nine or the Japanese goverment decides that it can simply ignore article nine and get away with it.  I talked about that here and here.

JDS Murasame, DD-101. The lead ship in a class of nine multipurpose destroyers laid down in 1991.

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