Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi vowed to support the US fight against terrorism on Sunday, the eve of his trip to Washington, amid fears of relegation to the sidelines of the world stage.
"The government of Japan is firmly resolved to strive for the eradication of terrorism," Koizumi said in a speech at a ceremony dedicated to all victims of the devastating attacks in New York and Washington on September 11.
“As an ally, Japan strongly supports the United States and is resolved to do its utmost in offering assistance and cooperation," he told a crowd of 2,000 people.
Koizumi is to leave here for Washington Monday to explain his plans to assist US President George W. Bush.
Koizumi is to hold summit talks on Tuesday as his nation struggles to match other countries' pledges of support for Washington's global war against terrorism.
But Japanese troops, called Self-Defense Forces, would not be directly involved in any military activities, which are banned under the pacifist constitution.
The limited support risks leaving Japan as isolated as it was during the 1991 Gulf War.
Tokyo then gave a massive 13-billion-dollar aid to the US-led Allied strikes against Iraq but ended up being accused of bankrolling the operation without taking any personnel risk.
At a press conference last week, Koizumi said Japan would "take necessary measures as soon as possible to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces" to offer logistical support to US-led forces.
He said his government was ready to revise legislation to facilitate such rearguard support but details of Japan's support were yet to be decided under constraints of the constitution.
Koizumi's Liberal Democratic Party secretary general Taku Yamasaki said Sunday he wanted to enact legislation next month while a weekend opinion poll showed Japanese are divided over what to do to in the event of US retaliation.
The premier said at the ceremony he was "resolved to work hand in hand with the nations of the world to build a peaceful international community that is free of terrorism," citing the saying "a friend in need is a friend indeed."
He voiced his condolences at the gathering hosted jointly by the Japanese government and the private-sector America-Japan Society at the Tokyo Big Sight convention hall.
He added a bouquet to a mountain of flowers on a white podium above which large US and Japanese flags were hanging side by side, as did US ambassador Howard Baker.
"There is no room for terrorism in our world and we must all join forces to take steps that will eradicate it," Baker said in a speech, while saying it was "not a time to dwell on retribution."
A two-minute silence was observed in remembrance of those who lost their lives and prayers were offered for the safety of those missing.
Several Japanese banks, some of whose employees were missing after the attacks on World Trade Center, reportedly skipped the ceremony, saying it was inappropriate to attend a memorial service before those missing had been confirmed dead.
As many as 44 Japanese remain unaccounted for after terrorist attacks in the United States, 20 more than officially listed as missing, a foreign ministry official said last week -- TOKYO (AFP)
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