U.S. envoy: Japan must stay in anti-terrorism fight

Source: Reuters

TOKYO (Reuters) - A failure by Japan to extend a naval mission supporting U.S.-led military operations in Afghanistan would send a "very bad message to the international community and to terrorists", the U.S. ambassador to Japan said.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is struggling, in the face of a resurgent opposition, to extend a naval mission providing fuel to U.S. and other ships patrolling the Indian Ocean against drug runners, gun smugglers and terrorists.

The mission is almost certain to be halted next week for at least for a couple of months, since its mandate expires on November 1 and opposition parties have vowed to vote down a bill to extend it in parliament's upper house, which they control.

"Terrorism is the bane of our times. We all have a stake in defeating it," U.S. ambassador Thomas Schieffer told a news conference on Wednesday.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUST7440120071024

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=259x5752

Perhaps they are jittery about having SEALs and 154 Tomahawks cruise missiles hanging around.