The first overseas dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces was decided after the ceasefire of the Gulf War about 30 years ago.


At that time, Japan provided a huge amount of aid, but the evaluation by the international community was so harsh that it was called "the trauma of the Gulf."



What kind of discussions were taking place within the government in this dire situation?


I would like to share with you the details of the top-secret diplomatic documents released on the 21st.

Q. What was the Gulf War in the first place?

On August 2, 1990, Iraq suddenly invaded neighboring Kuwait, and then Iraqi President Saddam Hussein declared Kuwait to be annexed as the 19th province after the suppression.

The international community unanimously condemned Iraq, and the United Nations Security Council immediately concluded that "Iraq's actions violate international law," and adopted a resolution calling for Iraq's withdrawal from Kuwait.



The United States, which had become the only superpower after the end of the Cold War, formed a multinational force based on UN Security Council resolutions.

In January 1991, the United States launched military operations in Iraq, marking the beginning of the Gulf War.



The Iraqi army was routed in the face of the overwhelming military power of the multinational forces, including high-tech weapons such as cruise missiles, and Kuwait was liberated in February of the following month.

Q. How was Japan involved?

Although Japan provided a total of 13 billion dollars in assistance in the Gulf War, it did not participate in the multinational forces led by the United States.

As a result, the international evaluation was severe, and it was also called "the trauma of the Gulf."



Under these circumstances, on April 24, 1991, after the ceasefire, the Japanese government made a Cabinet decision to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces overseas for the first time to clear mines in the Persian Gulf.

Q. What did you learn from the diplomatic documents?

Once a year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes documents that are more than 30 years old and that are deemed to have historical significance, are safe to publish, and are of high public interest. .


The diplomatic documents released on the 21st consisted of 6,877 pages created in 1991 and contained in a total of 19 files. increase.

In an informal discussion between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cabinet Legislation Bureau on March 26, while Japan was dependent on the Middle East as a source of crude oil imports, then Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kuriyama said, It is extremely inappropriate internationally for Japanese ships to go and fetch oil wherever possible," he said, indicating that he would like to proceed with the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces.



At that time, Japan did not participate in the multinational forces and provided a large amount of economic assistance. It seems that there is.



In response, the director of the Legislation Bureau pointed out, "International cooperation is an important factor to consider in policy making, but it would be problematic to base it on the interpretation of the Self-Defense Forces Law."



On the night of April 10, two weeks before the Cabinet decision, Chief Kudo of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau explained the consistency with the Self-Defense Forces Law to then Prime Minister Kaifu and Foreign Minister Nakayama.



Kudo said, "If minesweeping is to be carried out in accordance with the Self-Defense Forces Law, it must be for the safety of the navigation of Japan's ships, and although international requests may be a trigger, they are not the pillar of the argument. I can't get it," he said.

He expressed the view that the dispatch would be possible by arranging that the purpose was to ensure the safety of Japanese ships, not to contribute to the international community.



After this process, a cabinet decision was made, and two days later, the Self-Defense Forces departed for the Persian Gulf with a unit consisting of six ships, including minesweepers, and returned to Japan in October after clearing 34 mines.

Regarding Japan's economic assistance to the multinational forces, at the Japan-US Summit Meeting in April of the same year, then US President George W. Bush said that Japan would provide yen-denominated contributions due to fluctuations in the exchange rate. It was also revealed that he had asked, "Would you please try to pay the full amount of 9 billion dollars?"



Prime Minister Kaifu said, "Due to the system of the Diet, it is not possible to increase or decrease yen-denominated contributions in response to marginal gains and losses." This issue has been settled by contributing $500 million to

Q. What happens after the dispatch decision?

In 1992, the year after the Self-Defense Forces were dispatched for minesweeping activities, the "PKO Cooperation Law" was enacted to allow the Self-Defense Forces to participate in UN peacekeeping operations.



After that, the Self-Defense Forces were repeatedly dispatched overseas for UN peacekeeping operations in South Sudan and anti-piracy measures off the coast of Somalia, expanding the international contribution of the Self-Defense Forces.

Q. How do experts view it?

Hiroshi Nakanishi, a professor at the Kyoto University Graduate School who is familiar with diplomatic security, said, "It is very difficult to look back on the efforts to find the optimal solution by discussing different positions within the government in a dire situation. It's suggestive," he said.



Regarding Japan's economic support for the multinational forces, he said, ``Rather than the amount itself, refusing the American demands means that Japan will distance itself from the Gulf War and lose its position as a friendly country to the United States. This could have meant that the two countries maintained their political trust," he said.

Q. How can I see published diplomatic documents?

Diplomatic documents include official cables that were treated as top secret, but there are still parts that are considered to have an impact on diplomatic negotiations, such as the names of people who are still sources of information for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some are even painted black.



The released documents will be posted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website from the 21st, and the originals can be viewed at the Diplomatic Archives.