Japan yesterday ordered its naval refuelling vessels to leave the Indian Ocean, ending six years of operations to supply free oil for US-led military operations in Afghanistan.

尽管美国政府和日本执政党自民党(Liberal Democratic party)强烈反对，但日本还是终止了这项行动。这表明，日本的政局变化在很大程度上对制定政策造成阻碍。

The end of the mission, which came in spite of strong objections from Washington and Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party, shows the extent to which the altered political situation in Tokyo is crippling policy formation.

今年9月成为日本首相的福田康夫(Yasuo Fukuda)未能延长紧急反恐怖法的期限，因为目前控制上院的是反对上述任务的日本民主党(Democratic Party of Japan)。福田康夫昨日表示，他的政府将“尽最大努力尽快制定新法律，以便重启燃料补给行动。”

Yasuo Fukuda, who became prime minister in September, was unable to extend emergency anti-terror legislation because the upper house is now controlled by the Democratic Party of Japan, which opposes the mission. Mr Fukuda said yesterday that his government would “make our strongest effort to enact new legislation soon so that we can resume refuelling”.