Japanese warships depart from a port near Tokyo on Sunday
Tokyo … News Time
A Japanese warship sailed from Tokyo on Sunday in connection with a mission to protect commercial ships and oil vessels in the Gulf of Oman. It should be noted that 90% of the crude going to Japan goes through the Gulf of Oman. According to Reuters News Agency, the Taka warship and its crew of 200 men will work together with two patrols to guard Japanese ports. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government has said it is ready to approve the use of force to protect endangered ships. This decision is controversial in the light of the Japanese constitution. Japan’s constitution prohibits the use of military force to settle international disputes.
It should be noted that the Japanese cabinet minister Yoshihide Soga has previously believed that the Japanese warship and the Japanese Self Defense Force will receive underwater assistance from a Middle East port. However, he declined to name the Middle East port of support for the Japanese force. According to Yoshihide Soga, the purpose of the Japanese force is to ensure the security of Japan-related commercial ships. He believed that the areas of mission operations included the Gulf of Oman, the northern part of the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Remember that the Japanese cabinet last December approved the sending of personnel to the Japanese Navy’s Self Defense Force to the Middle East. Its purpose was to carry out information gathering activities that would help ensure the safety of a crude oil delivery center. In this regard, the Japanese defense minister in late December believed that the Japanese forces would be allowed to use weapons to defend endangered ships in any emergency.
