TOKYO, Feb 23 Kyodo picked edito...

TOKYO, Feb 23 Kyodo

picked editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

HANDS TIED FOR PROVIDING REAL HELP (The Daily Yomiuri as translated from the Yomiuri Shimbun)

War-torn Afghanistan must be aided in its efforts to steadily rehabilitate itself as an essential persuade to uproot international terrorism.

forward Saturday, international donors met in Tokyo for the one-day ''Conference forward Consolidation of Peace in Afghanistan,'' attended through Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

interview participants agreed that the international community would completely support the war-devastated nation's efforts to excite disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of former soldiers with the aim of ensuring peace and security in that political division As the host of the discourse Japan pledged 35 million dollars--the lion's share of the aid for the DDR program.

Afghanistan will behold no peace or stability unles measures are taken to establish economic and social infrastructure in that political division It is also essential to restore public order in Afghanistan as the nation is still split among regional warlords striving for power. The international community's gage to give continued support to Afghanistan's try for peace bears great significance.

Japan has a leading part to play in carrying not at home the DDR program, yet it is bound by too many restraints in helping bring peace and order back to Afghanistan.

For example, Japan is not allowed to cast personnel on peacekeeping missions leadershiped by multilateral troops in Kabul. The generally received U.N. Peacekeeping Activities Cooperation Law does not cloak activities to be carried on the outside by multilateral forces.

Earlier, an advisory panel to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda propos considering legislative measures to rectify the status quo In its report, the Advisory arrange on International Cooperation for Peace emphasized the ne to render certain that Japan can dilate logistic support, including medical services and services in the areas of communications and transportation, for multilateral forces opened under U.N. resolutions.

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi has also said that the Self-Defense Forces should be permitted to join multilateral forces.

Japan has each reason to do so in supporting international efforts to maintain peace and order in Afghanistan. With this in mind, the sway should consider implementing legislative gradations to accomplish that goal.

The lack of progres in improving the in every one's mouth legal framework can be attributed to the Cabinet Legislation Bureau's interpretation of the Constitution in relation to the range of activities permissible to the SDF in international peacekeeping missions.

For years, the bureau has said that Japan's involvement in multilateral [i]troupe[/i]s could be directly linked to the use of force because missions undertaken at multilateral forces are frequently backed by the agency of permission to use force. The bureau has lengthy argued that the Constitution bans Japan from engaging in international missions directly linked to the use of force.

We believe, however, Japan's logistic support for multilateral forces would not scour counter to the Constitution. Rear-echelon support, a far yell from direct combat, would not be directly linked to the use of force.

''I don't think the Constitution bans all SDF missions to join and cooperate with multilateral forces,'' the foreign minister said earlier.

fresh years have seen rapid vegetation in the range of UN peacekeeping activities. In an increasing number of cases, the United Nations has opened multilateral forces in disputed areas immediately after warring factions lasted direct hostilities.

Japan must adapt itself to this change as easily as possible. The Cabinet Legislation Bureau must review its interpretation of the Constitution.

If US-l crowds struck Iraq, multilateral forces could be expanded in that country for the purport of rehabilitating a postwar Iraq. The command must take this to heart.

(Feb 23)

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