日本撤回阿富汗行動燃料補給船

日本昨天下令其海軍燃料補給船駛離印度洋，從而結束了長達6年向美國領導的阿富汗軍事行動免費供應石油的行動。

Japan yesterday ordered its naval refuelling vessels to leave the Indian Ocean, ending six years of operations to supply free oil for US-led military operations in Afghanistan.

盡管美國政府和日本執政黨自民黨(Liberal Democratic party)強烈反對，但日本還是終止了這項行動。這表明，日本的政局變化在很大程度上對制定政策造成阻礙。

The end of the mission, which came in spite of strong objections from Washington and Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party, shows the extent to which the altered political situation in Tokyo is crippling policy formation.

今年9月成為日本首相的福田康夫(Yasuo Fukuda)未能延長緊急反恐怖法的期限，因為目前控制上院的是反對上述任務的日本民主黨(Democratic Party of Japan)。福田康夫昨日表示，他的政府將“盡最大努力盡快制定新法律，以便重啟燃料補給行動。”

Yasuo Fukuda, who became prime minister in September, was unable to extend emergency anti-terror legislation because the upper house is now controlled by the Democratic Party of Japan, which opposes the mission. Mr Fukuda said yesterday that his government would “make our strongest effort to enact new legislation soon so that we can resume refuelling”