The ruling coalition Friday submitted to the opposition camp the draft of a new bill to continue the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean in support of antiterrorism operations in and around Afghanistan — a key goal of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in the current Diet session.
The government plans to introduce the new bill, which will narrow the scope of the ongoing mission of MSDF vessels, as the current special law enabling the mission expires Nov. 1.
But with only weeks to go before the current law's expiration, it is certain the MSDF mission will have to be halted until the new legislation is approved by a divided Diet.