Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi cleared his biggest political hurdle in the ongoing Diet session Tuesday as the Lower House special committee approved a bill enabling the Self-Defense Forces to provide noncombat support to any U.S.-led response to the Sept. 11 attacks.
With the Lower House almost certain to approve the bill Thursday and full Diet approval expected next week, Koizumi has effectively succeeded in fulfilling his pledge to U.S. President George W. Bush to play a "visible" role by deploying the SDF.
But Koizumi's attempt to win broad support for the bill by bringing the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan on board failed due to a political tug of war within the ruling triumvirate.
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