December 06, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Japanese adults are divided on whether their country should participate in the Afghanistan fuelling assistance mission, according to a poll by Asahi. 44 per cent of respondents support the engagement, while 44 per cent are opposed.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Japanese adults are divided on whether their country should participate in the Afghanistan fuelling assistance mission, according to a poll by Asahi. 44 per cent of respondents support the engagement, while 44 per cent are opposed.

Afghanistan has been the main battleground in the war on terrorism. The conflict began in October 2001, after the Taliban regime refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked and crashed four airplanes on Sept. 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.

Japan did not commit its Self-Defence Forces to combat duties in Afghanistan, but has participated in a naval mission by offering logistical support and fuelling assistance in the Indian Ocean.

An election to renew half of the House of Councillors seats took place in July. Final results gave the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) 60 of the 121 seats at stake, with the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) winning 37 mandates. The opposition—with 137 seats—now holds a majority in the House of Councillors for the first time since the LDP was founded in 1955.

The governing LDP has supported the mission in Afghanistan, first under former prime ministers Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe, and more recently during the government of Yasuo Fukuda. However, opposition parties reject Japan’s participation in the war on terrorism. The Afghanistan fuelling assistance mission expired on Nov. 1.

On Nov. 28, DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa discussed the outcome of the Australian election—where Kevin Rudd and the Australian Labour Party (ALP) ended the 11-year tenure of Liberal leader John Howard as prime minister—saying, "The result was due to the Australian people’s sentiment that it was foolish for the Howard administration to act closely with the Bush administration on everything like sending troops to Iraq. (...) I think fundamentally in Japan there are many people who think it is foolish that Japan acts according to what Bush says."

On Dec. 4, Fukuda urged lawmakers to re-authorize the Afghanistan fuelling assistance mission, declaring, "Why are so many nations engaged in the operations in Afghanistan, despite having lost so many lives? That’s because they want to do something about terrorism. (...) We want to resume the activities. It is only natural. The international community thinks it is natural."

Polling Data

Do you support or oppose Japan’s participation in the Afghanistan fuelling assistance mission?

	Dec. 2007	Nov. 2007
Support	44%	43%
Oppose	44%	41%
Not sure	12%	16%

Source: Asahi
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,939 Japanese adults, conducted on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2, 2007. No margin of error was provided.