| |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Wednesday pledged to give better information on a naval mission supporting US-led troops in Afghanistan which the opposition is trying to end.
A new poll showed strong support for Fukuda, who took office last month after his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, resigned citing his failure to extend the naval deployment in the Indian Ocean.
The opposition grilled Fukuda in parliament on Wednesday, questioning his statement when he was chief government spokesman in 2003 that Japan had not provided fuel to the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier.
Japanese defence authorities one day later confirmed the refuelling.
"I apologise for the problem in collecting information," Fukuda told a parliamentary committee. "We will disclose information promptly and correctly in the future."
He again denied that Japanese fuel for operations in Afghanistan was diverted to go to the war in Iraq. The USS Kitty Hawk was deployed for operations in both countries.
Japan has provided fuel and other logistical support to coalition forces which overthrew Afghanistan's extremist Taliban regime under legislation passed after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.
The mandate for the Indian Ocean mission expires on November 1.
The opposition won control of one house of parliament in July and is pushing for general elections. It says that Japan, which has been officially pacifist since World War II, should not be part of "American wars".
A survey published on Wednesday by the best-selling Yomiuri Shimbun showed that 49 percent of voters supported extending the naval mission, with 37 percent opposed.
The newspaper, which interviewed 3,000 eligible voters nationwide, said that Fukuda's cabinet enjoyed approval of 59.1 percent – double the rate for Abe's government before he quit last month.
- AFP/so
|
