Laws enacted in 1999 covering emergencies "in areas surrounding Japan" may allow the nation to extend logistic support to the United States in any retaliation against last week's terrorist attacks, Defense Agency chief Gen Nakatani indicated Tuesday.
Nakatani said that although the laws were not designed to cover conflicts in areas such as Afghanistan, "it does not mean" the laws cannot be applied to such a situation.
"It is possible that a situation beyond the laws' assumption can take place, and we have to deal with it appropriately when it happens," he said.