Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Friday said Japan will not dispatch its Aegis destroyer to the Indian Ocean until enactment of a new law allowing it to provide rear-area support for U.S.-led military action that could take place in Afghanistan.

At a House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting, Koizumi said dispatch of the vessel would only come "after the enactment of the new law.

"I'm not saying we will send the Aegis destroyer or a large fleet (overseas). What I said is we must prepare as we don't know what will happen.'

He asked opposition parties to cooperate in swiftly passing a bill submitted to the Diet earlier in the day to enact the law. "The international community is in accord in fighting terrorism. (The planned law) means Japan as well will stand against terrorism as a member of the international community," Koizumi said at the committee meeting.

Koizumi also said the fight against terrorism will be long. "This fight will first identify the terrorists," he said. "Then, it will be very hard work to determine what kind of organization the terrorist group is and what government is behind it. We need a long and patient response."

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka said anticipated U.S.-led military strikes will not require any additional U.N. resolution in terms of international law, citing the U.N. resolution already adopted denouncing the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

Tanaka told the committee the U.N. resolution already confirms that the U.S. and other nations are allowed to exercise their right to individual or collective defense.

She suggested that the government may sign and seek ratification of a treaty to establish an international criminal tribunal to try individuals charged with war crimes and mass killings by terrorism.

"We will make efforts to establish something consistent with domestic legislation," Tanaka said.

The U.S. has signed the treaty but has yet to ratify it while Japan has yet to sign it.

Antiterror diplomacy

Tokyo will dispatch Lower House lawmaker Muneo Suzuki to Tajikistan as Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's special envoy as part of diplomatic efforts to beef up an international coalition against terrorism, the government announced Friday.

Suzuki, a former deputy chief Cabinet secretary, will leave Tokyo today and meet with Tajik President Imam Ali Rahmonov during his visit, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said.

Suzuki, of the Liberal Democratic Party, will return to Japan on Tuesday, Fukuda said.

"Now that the international community must unite against terrorism, we have decided to send our special envoy to Afghanistan's neighbor in an effort to build closer international teamwork," Fukuda said.

Tokyo has already sent former Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura to Saudi Arabia and Iran, and former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto to Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.