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COMMENTARY
Japan:
Defining its role in
Iraq
By Yoichi Funabashi
(Used by permission of Pacific Forum CSIS)
The Japanese government hastily passed a
special-measures bill to dispatch the Self-Defense
Forces (SDF) to "non-combat areas" in Iraq. But its
plans were upset because of subsequent terrorist attacks
in that country. The SDF plans were as evasive as a
desert mirage to begin with.
It is time for
Japan to switch its thinking. First, it needs to alter
its policy of dispatching the SDF as an extension of
supporting the US offensive in the Iraq war. Instead,
the policy should be one that supports Iraqi
nation-building under the United States-United Nations
cooperative initiative.
Decades-long cooperation
among international society is needed to build a solid
foundation for a new Iraq. It is a laborious task. Japan
can contribute to the effort with its experience of
having rebuilt itself from the ruins of World War II.
At the same time, Japan must also provide
medium-term nation-building support over the next
several years. This is where the SDF can play a positive
role because there is a limit to civilian cooperation
when peace has yet to be established.
According
to a senior Japanese government official, a high-ranking
US government official told him he wanted the SDF to go
into Iraq, even if just a short distance. That must be
what Washington really wants. But just because the
United States is pressing Japan to station troops in
Iraq, there is no need for Japan to dispatch ground
forces. Sending air forces makes more sense.
Japan should contribute in areas where it is
strong. This is an age in which like-minded parties form
coalitions to counter threats depending on what they
are. Whether members of a coalition can complement each
other to consolidate their power is the key to success
of such coordinated efforts.
Japan should
mobilize its Air Self-Defense Forces to deliver supplies
to Iraq. Japan has the capability to commit several
C-130 transport planes over the next few years. In
addition to carrying medical supplies and water to Iraq
for humanitarian relief, Japan should also deliver
supplies to UN forces as a form of logistic support. SDF
air forces could carry supplies from distribution bases
in Qatar and other neighboring countries to airports
across Iraq.
There are risks, of course. In
particular, they need to take caution against Stinger
missile attacks by enemy forces. Every possible
precaution must be taken to minimize risks. The dispatch
of the SDF to Iraq is different from participation in UN
peacekeeping operations after the settlement of
conflicts. Fighting is expected to continue for some
time in Iraq.
However, Japan must not simply say
that it cannot send the SDF because it's too dangerous.
Doing so would deny the SDF's raison d'etre.
If the government decides to dispatch the SDF,
it should clarify the purpose of the dispatch and
explain it to the people and members of the SDF. This is
what was most lacking in the Diet (parliamentary)
deliberations to pass the Iraq special-measures bill.
The logic of supporting the United States
because the US-led Iraq war was just no longer holds.
The Japanese people will also not buy the explanation
that it is the duty of an ally to clean up the mess left
behind by the United States.
Why is Japan
preparing to send the SDF? It is to help the Iraqi
people come together to rebuild their nation. There is
no way Japan can withdraw halfway after using violence
to overthrow the Iraqi regime from the outside. It is a
matter of course for the United States to ensure that
peace is established in Iraq. Japan, which supported the
US-led war, is just as responsible. Only when Japan
makes a daily effort in establishing peace and stability
in international society can it build a solid foundation
for its own security and expect support from
international society in emergencies.
Second,
Japan is heavily dependent on the Middle East for oil
and gas. Thus, the stability of the region, including
Iraq, is indispensable to the security of Japan's
energy.
The dispatch is also important for the
maintenance of the Japan-US alliance. The United States
embarked upon the Iraq war and "war on terror" in a fit
of anger and fell into a quagmire. To force it to come
to its senses and steer it away from unilateralism
toward international cooperation, Japan needs to lend
support and help weather the crisis by its side. We must
also not forget the increasingly important role of the
Japan-US alliance in the face of the North Korean
nuclear threat.
Yoichi Funabashi is a
senior staff writer and foreign affairs columnist for
the Asahi Shimbun. He can be reached at ja6868@sepia.ocn.ne.jp.
This article is used by permission of Pacific Forum CSIS.
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