The administration Tuesday endorsed a bill that would extend for one more year the antiterrorism law allowing the Maritime Self-Defense Force to refuel U.S.-led coalition vessels in the Indian Ocean.
The Cabinet endorsed the bill amid growing speculation that the Ground Self-Defense Force's humanitarian mission in Iraq, which expires Dec. 14, will be extended again and then the troops will be withdrawn by next summer.
The dispatches are the two main pillars of Japan's support for U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, which have earned much appreciation from the U.S. and strengthened bilateral relations.