Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's cabinet approved a bill October 5 that would permit Japanese troops to be deployed overseas as logistical support for U.S. forces. The bill, which was submitted to the country's lower house of parliament, is expected to be passed before Koizumi attends the October 20-21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shanghai, which U.S. president George Bush will also be attending.

The legislation would allow Japan's military to ferry ammunition, run field hospitals, and permit its forces to carry weapons to be used as part of its operations. Also under discussion is authorizing Japanese forces to conduct "search-and-rescue" operations in support of U.S. troops.

Koizumi has stated that once this legislation is passed he plans to send four or five warships, including an Aegis-class destroyer with an advanced radar and surveillance system, to the Indian Ocean to provide rear-area support for the U.S. Navy. Japan's cabinet has already approved sending six transport planes to Pakistan, supposedly to take supplies to Afghan refugees. Following Washington's lead, Tokyo also announced a $40 million "aid" package to Pakistan.

These military moves by Japan's ruling class reflect a big shift over their participation in the 1990–91 Gulf War, when Tokyo was humiliatingly reduced to helping bankroll the U.S.-led aggression against Iraq to the tune of $13 billion.

Japan's 1947 constitution, imposed by Washington's postwar occupation force, prohibits its army--called the Self Defense Force (SDF)--from participating in combat abroad. Despite these limitations Japan's rulers have assembled a huge military force. The country has the second largest military budget in the world after the United States, spending about $45 billion each year. Its navy is larger than Britain's, and the SDF numbers close to 250,000 troops.

Seeking to garner support for Japan's militarization drive, Koizumi visited Beijing October 8, where he offered a "heartfelt apology" to China for his country's brutality before and during World War II. "The surprise gesture, long sought by the Chinese, apparently succeeded in winning Beijing's acceptance of Japan's desire to participate in the U.S.-led war on terrorism," reported a Financial Times article.

In Germany, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder stated in an address to parliament October 11 that the country's postwar role as a secondary player had now "irrevocably passed."

After an internal debate, the Green Party, which is part of Schröder's coalition government, agreed to make German troops available for Washington's assault on Afghanistan.  
 
 
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