Japanese navy could be sent to fight Somali pirates
Last month, Kyodo News reported that the Japanese government had considered dispatching MSDF warships to escort a cruise ship through the pirated-infested waters off the coast of Somalia. Although they eventually decided against that course of action, a several recent high profile pirate attacks have led to discussions of a possible new law permitting the dispatch of the MSDF on anti-piracy missions:
A bill allowing the Maritime Self-Defense Force to conduct operations may be submitted to parliament early next year, the report said.
Japan’s navy would be charged with escorting oil tankers and commercial ships of all nationalities to prevent hijackings, the Nikkei said. The use of force in response to pirate attacks would be authorized, Nikkei said.
A Japanese-owned chemical tanker was seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said this week. Pirate attacks climbed fivefold in the region in the first nine months of this year as ransom payments spurred raiders to seize more ships, according to the International Maritime Bureau’s piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur.
[via Foreign Policy Passport]
- Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
- dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
- Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)
