Declassified White House documents show that U.S. President George H.W. Bush strongly urged Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu in 1990 to send Maritime Self-Defense Force units to join the U.S.-led multinational forces during the Gulf War.
A record of telephone talks between Bush and Kaifu on Aug. 13, 1990, was obtained by the National Security Archive, a U.S. think tank. Iraq had invaded Kuwait on Aug. 2 and Bush was starting to build an international military coalition to evict the invaders.
According to the documents, Bush told Kaifu, "I would certainly encourage as much support as Japan can give on the economic and military side. . . . I would like you to consider a direct Japan contribution to the multinational naval force.