Japan to extend anti-terror mission in Gulf

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, March 26, 2004

Japan to extend anti-terror mission in Gulf

The Japanese government decided Friday to extend the antiterrorism mission in the Gulf region by one month.

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The Japanese government decided Friday to extend the antiterrorism mission in the Gulf region by one month.

The decision, made by Defense Agency Director General Shigeru Ishiba, was reported to a meeting of cabinet members, Kyodo News said.

Under the new plan, Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) will keep staying in the Arabian Sea through May 1 to refuel US-led operations against terrorists, mainly in Afghanistan.

The MSDF fleet has reportedly refueled US vessels involved in the invasion of Iraq last year.

Japan dispatched minesweeper to the Gulf region after the firstUS-led war on Iraq in 1991, a major defiance to its pacifist constitution. The breach was reinforced with follow-up similar legislation.

In the latest deployment in southern Iraq, around 1,000 Japanese troops are participating in reconstruction operations ledby the United States.

Source: Xinhua

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