The leader of Japan's resurgent opposition says Tokyo should send troops on UN-backed missions abroad, despite a lingering row with the government over a naval deployment in the Indian Ocean.
In an article due to be published today, Ichiro Ozawa said he would allow officially pacifist Japan to deploy forces for UN-authorized missions, such as the NATO-led role in Afghanistan, and also for Sudan.
"If I take the reins of the administration and [assume] the position to decide diplomatic and national security policies, I would allow the country to take part in the ISAF activities," the conservative Sankei Shimbun newspaper quoted him as writing in the article to be published in Sekai magazine.
He was referring to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, which is separate to a US-led coalition operating there.
However the opposition is against government proposals to extend an Indian Ocean refueling and supply mission for the US-led Afghanistan operation.
Having won control of the upper house of parliament in July elections -- a result which helped bring down prime minister Shinzo Abe -- the opposition is in a strong position.
The government proposed a compromise on Sunday, saying it was prepared to stop refueling operations backing combat troops and restrict its support to ships policing the Indian Ocean.
Ozawa did not address the proposal to scale back the Indian Ocean mission, which will expire unless fresh legislation is passed by Nov. 1.
Abe's successor, Yasuo Fukuda, has vowed to continue that mission, arguing that Japan, as the world's second largest economy, needs also to contribute to international security.
But Ozawa insists Japan should not participate in "American wars," and his party has alleged that fuel for the Indian Ocean mission has been diverted to US operations in Iraq.
Japan has been officially pacifist since World War II.
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