Staff writer The 1991 Persian Gulf War marked a turning point in Japan's involvement in international security efforts, triggering a debate that paved the way for the nation to participate in U.N.-led peacekeeping missions. Ten years later, however, Japan is still debating how far it can go.
The nation experienced diplomatic embarrassment when it was unable to contribute any personnel to the multinational force that fought Iraq, and its financial contribution of $13 billion to help pay for the war was welcomed somewhat less than warmly.
That bitter memory prompted the government, after protracted debate in the Diet, to push through legislation in 1992 that enabled Self-Defense Forces personnel to participate in U.N. peacekeeping operations, paving the way for Japanese troops to be dispatched overseas -- for the first time since World War II. After the enactment of the peacekeeping law, once dubbed as the "PKO" law, discussions on expanding Japan's international security role no longer appeared to be taboo. Pressure on Japan to boost this role is expected to intensify further as the nation seeks to build a closer alliance with the United States under the new administration of George W. Bush.