Koichi Kato, former secretary general of the LDP, on Friday stressed the need to quickly pass two bills to allow the Self-Defense Forces to provide support to U.S. forces in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

"I personally believe that it is necessary to make swift decisions rather than take time for full-scale (deliberation)," said Kato, who is expected to be appointed chairman of a special Diet committee charged with discussing the bills.

Kato, however, said committee deliberations will be tough since the United Nations has not adopted a resolution to allow military action, as it did for the Gulf War. "The bill should be deliberated not only from the viewpoint of the Japan-U.S. alliance but also from a wider perspective of how Japan should participate in global efforts to fight terrorism," he said.

"I will do my utmost to build a public consensus."

According to Kato, he was first offered the committee chairmanship early last week by Taku Yamasaki, the current secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi then asked him to take the post just before boarding a plane to visit U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday, he said.

Yamasaki apparently considered Kato suitable for the post since he headed a similar committee in 1990 when the Diet deliberated on the U.N. Peace Cooperation bill to take part in international efforts prior to the Gulf War.

The appointment will return him to the spotlight following his failed attempt to oust Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's Cabinet by threatening to back an opposition-led no-confidence motion in November.