A national opinion poll conducted by Kyodo News on Saturday and Sunday showed that 58.4 percent of voters are opposed to the dispatch of a Maritime Self-Defense Force unit to the Middle East, while 34.4 percent supported the effort.
The result is likely to give more ammunition to opposition lawmakers during the upcoming ordinary Diet session, which starts on Jan. 20, as some have criticized Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for the plan to send MSDF personnel to the region amid high tensions between Iran and the U.S. The two nations are at loggerheads over various issues, including Tehran’s nuclear program and the economic sanctions Washington imposed against the Middle Eastern nation.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.