Gov't decides to extend Japan's refueling mission in Indian Ocean+

TOKYO, Dec. 24 Kyodo - The government decided Wednesday to extend Japan's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean for another half year beyond its scheduled expiration on Jan. 15, 2009 under a recently enacted law.

The Cabinet at an extraordinary meeting endorsed a revision to the Basic Plan
for the Maritime Self-Defense Force mission based on the Dec. 12 enactment of a
law to extend until July 15 the refueling mission in support of U.S.-led
antiterrorism operations in and near Afghanistan.
The government kept other parts of the Basic Plan intact, including up to 500
MSDF personnel being mobilized to take part in the mission and these personnel
being sent to non-combat areas such as the Indian Ocean including the Persian
Gulf.
Based on the revised Basic Plan, the MSDF is to deploy a supply ship and a
destroyer to refuel foreign naval vessels participating in U.S.-led efforts to
interdict ships linked to terrorism in the region.
==Kyodo
2008-12-24 22:25:22



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