Japan extends overseas Self-Defense Forces missions by one year
Japan’s cabinet approved one-year extensions for Self-Defense Forces anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia, intelligence-gathering activities in the Middle East, and headquarters personnel deployed to the Multinational Force and Observers in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said ensuring safe navigation in the Middle East was important because the region supports much of Japan’s crude oil imports.