Japan ends Indian Ocean refueling mission

TOKYO, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- The Japanese Defense Ministry Friday ended its Indian Ocean refueling mission for the U.S.-led anti-terrorism effort relating to Afghanistan.

Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa's order issued to Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force came after a law authorizing the refueling mission expired.

Kitazawa told reporters the demand for the refueling operations, in effect since December 2001, had been declining in recent years, Kyodo News reported.

Instead, the new Japanese government of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has pledged up to $5 billion in civilian aid to Afghanistan.

The Defense Ministry said the 13,500-ton supply ship Mashu and the 4,550-ton destroyer Ikazuchi, involved in the mission, would return home next month.

Expressing his appreciation of the mission, Hatoyama said in a statement: "Working toward peace and stability in the international society serves our national interests and Japan will continue to proactively contribute to anti-terrorism operations,'' Kyodo reported.

Japan's main opposition Liberal Democratic Party criticized the Hatoyama coalition government for not extending the refueling mission, the report said.

LDP's Masahisa Sato said Japan's national interests ''will be lost with the withdrawal'' of the MSDF vessels.

Besides the United States, the refueling mission also had served 12 other countries.