Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said the new mission would be dispatched by the end of the month, launching a limited version of a six-year refueling operation that had been suspended in November.
Japan had refueled ships since 2001 in support of U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, but was forced to abandon the mission last fall when the resurgent opposition blocked an extension.
The measure enacted Friday will limit Japanese ships to refueling boats not directly involved in hostilities in Afghanistan, a restriction aimed at winning over a public wary of violating the spirit of the pacifist constitution.
We certainly lobbied hard for this, but Japan has stepped up nicely.
