Japan Orders Warship Dispatch on Antipiracy Mission

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu
Hamada on Friday ordered the dispatch of warships on an antipiracy mission
in waters off Somalia.
Two destroyers with a crew of some 400 will leave Japan on Saturday
to protect Japanese ships traveling there. The fleet will begin the escort
mission around early April.
The order was issued right after the cabinet of Prime Minister Taro
Aso approved the move.
This was the third time for Japan to issue an order for such
maritime security operations. The first was in March 1999, when a suspicious
vessel appeared in waters off the Noto Peninsula, central Japan, and the
second was in November 2004, when a Chinese nuclear submarine intruded on
Japanese territorial waters.
The cabinet also adopted a bill to allow Japanese warships to
protect both Japanese and foreign ships and to open fire at pirate ships
when they approach target ships.
The latest mission limits protection to Japanese-registered ships
and non-Japanese ships carrying Japanese crew or cargo.
In addition, the use of weapons is restricted to self-defense and
averting imminent danger.
Japan plans to keep in close contact with other countries operating
there to ensure the safety of Japanese ships.
On March 20, Japan is scheduled to hold talks with China on ways to
share piracy information between the two countries.