A destroyer and a supply ship that had been refueling American and other warships are to head home at midnight, when a special law authorizing the mission expires. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama refused to renew the law, ignoring requests from the Obama administration to continue the mission as a show of diplomatic support for Washington.

The Japanese withdrawal had been expected for months, and military experts have said it will not affect military operations in Afghanistan. But it is symbolic of Mr. Hatoyama’s efforts to reduce his country’s dependence on the United States, and assert more independence on diplomatic issues.

Members of Mr. Hatoyama’s left-leaning coalition have criticized the operation for violating the nation’s pacifist Constitution and for aligning their nation too closely with Bush administration wars that many Japanese saw as unilateral. Ending the mission was a campaign pledge of Mr. Hatoyama’s Democratic Party, which swept aside a half-century of Liberal Democratic rule last summer.

Political experts have warned that the withdrawal could further irritate Washington at a time when ties between the nations have already been frayed by a disagreement over relocating an American air base on Okinawa. Mr. Hatoyama sought to soften the blow last November, when he told President Obama that Japan would offer $5 billion in civilian aid to aid Afghanistan’s reconstruction instead.

At the time, President Obama expressed regret for the decision to end the mission, but thanked Mr. Hatoyama for the new aid.

In a statement Friday, Mr. Hatoyama thanked the crew of the two vessels for completing their mission “in a severe working environment with high morale and discipline.”

“Working toward peace and stability in the international society serves our national interests,” he said, “and Japan will continue to proactively contribute to antiterrorism operations.”

The mission — based on a “special antiterrorism law” — raised Japan’s military profile, and was Tokyo’s main contribution to the Bush administration’s campaign against terrorism. But this stance proved unpopular at home, where support for the country’s postwar pacifism remains strong.

Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa told reporters on Friday that demand for the mission had been declining and that Japan would seek unspecified new ways to contribute to the Afghanistan effort.

Later in the day, he spoke via teleconference with the commander of the Japanese mission, wishing him a safe return. The two ships are due to arrive back in Japan early next month, Japanese news reports said.

Source >  NYT