Yamasaki Taku, chairman of the LDP’s Diplomatic Research Committee, remarked in a debate in Tokyo on 25th May [2008] that “people are saying that extending the Iraq Special Measures Law will be difficult, and I agree with them completely”. The Iraq Special Measures Law, originally passed under PM Koizumi, is the legal basis for Japan mobilising the SDF beyond Japanese territory to Iraq in support of American forces there. It will be up for extension in June of next year [2009]. Mr. Yamasaki, in response to questions at a press conference after the debate, commented that “If you consider the situation in the Diet until June next year, the extension of the Law is extremely problematic.”
The government and ruling party are planning to seek an extension, during a special Diet session in the Autumn this year, to the Re-fuelling Support Special Measures Law – up for re-approval in January 2009 – which allows SDF ships to support re-fuelling of US ships in the Indian Ocean.
