Posted on 09/21/2001 4:58:05 AM PDT by Irma
Friday September 21 6:17 AM ET Japan PM to Meet Bush, Pledge Full SupportEducation/Discussion Purposes OnlyJapan PM to Meet Bush, Pledge Full Support
By Kazunori Takada
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said on Friday he would meet President Bush (news - web sites) in Washington next week to pledge Tokyo's full support for a ``war on terrorism'' after attacks on New York and Washington.
``I plan to tell President Bush that we share a strong anger at these extremely cowardly acts,'' said Koizumi, confirming he would meet Bush on Tuesday.
``I plan to say that Japan is not an observer in this battle against terrorists and that we plan to cooperate, making use of all our power,'' he told reporters.
Koizumi, who wants changes to Japan's pacifist constitution to clarify the role of the military, said this week that Japan would take measures to allow its forces to provide logistical support for U.S. military operations in response to the attacks.
This would probably include backup support such as providing medical services, gathering electronic intelligence, and supplying and transporting supplies.
A Defense Agency official said on Friday Japan was considering sending surveillance aircraft as well as warships equipped with Aegis air defense systems to the Indian Ocean to support U.S. forces in the event of a strike on Afghanistan (news - web sites).
``We may send them for information collecting purposes, though nothing has been decided yet,'' the official said.
Such backup support is about the only form of assistance Japan is capable of that would satisfy the United States.
``There are only three choices for Japan -- give money, bleed in battle or sweat away in tasks related to the battle,'' Kyodo news agency quoted a lawmaker from Koizumi's ruling Liberal Democratic Party as saying.
``Since the U.S. does not want money and we cannot take part in conflicts, the only thing we can do is take part in tasks related to it,'' the lawmaker said.
Bush says he is ``unalterably committed to a direct, forceful and comprehensive response'' to the attacks, while Japan is keen to avoid a rerun of its diplomatic disaster in 1991 when it refused to send even a token force to the Gulf War (news - web sites).
Instead, it extended $13 billion in aid for the U.S.-led multinational forces that ousted Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
Japan said on Friday it would provide Pakistan with $40 million in emergency aid in return for supporting U.S. efforts to track down Osama bin Laden (news - web sites), believed to be in Afghanistan. Bin Laden is Washington's number one suspect in the attacks.
Japan imposed economic sanctions on both Pakistan and India after they conducted nuclear tests in 1998 and froze all new loans and grants except for humanitarian aid.
``I think that Prime Minister Koizumi made very clear that we are on the side of the United States and will do our utmost,'' said Seiichiro Takagi, director of the area studies department at the National Institute for Defense Studies in Tokyo.
KITTY HAWK DEPARTS
The U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, escorted by several Japanese destroyers, steamed out of its home port at Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo, earlier on Friday.
The U.S Navy declined to comment, but local media reported that the 81,123-ton carrier, which carries about 70 aircraft, was headed for the Indian Ocean.
A Defense Agency official said the Japanese escorts would remain in Japanese waters.
The Kitty Hawk is part of U.S. Navy (news - web sites)'s Seventh Fleet, which operates in the western Pacific, Indian Ocean and Gulf.
Japan is home to some 48,000 U.S. military personnel -- about half the U.S. presence in Asia and key to regional forward deployment.
A Foreign Ministry official said Koizumi would also meet the families of about 24 Japanese nationals missing after the attack on the World Trade Center in New York.
He is also expected to meet New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (news - web sites).
Instead, it extended $13 billion in aid for the U.S.-led multinational forces that ousted Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
I'm glad to see that Japan is taking this a bit more serious than it did the Gulf War. As Bush said....."Either you're with us or you're against us...."
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