Thirsty Japan Gambles over Iraqi Oil

The Japanese media have started questioning the government’s decision of extending the Air Self-Defense Forces (ASDF) in Iraq until July 31, 2007. The ASDF started airlifts from Kuwait in March 2004 under a July 2003 ad hoc law to carry out Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces (GSDF) deployment for non-combat activities in Iraq.

The Middle East is the chief supplier of Japan’s imported oil, and to keep permanent access to this oil plays a determining role in Japanese foreign policy toward the region. Resource-poor Japan imports nearly all of the oil it consumes, and almost 90 percent of that comes from the turbulent and volatile Middle East, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran as its three major crude-oil exporting partners, respectively.
Global Politician