Japanese PM pledges support for W. Asian countries battling Islamic State

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned on Saturday that the world would suffer an “immeasurable loss’’ if terrorism spreads in West Asia and pledged about $200 million in non-military assistance for countries battling Islamic State.

The threat of Islamist militancy has come into sharp focus outside West Asia after gunmen killed 17 people in three days of violence in Paris that began on January 7 with an attack on the offices of a newspaper that had published satirical images of the Prophet Mohammad.

Islamic State controls large parts of OPEC oil producer Iraq and neighbouring Syria has declared a caliphate and wants to redraw the map of a region vital for Japan’s energy needs.

‘It goes without saying that the stability of the Middle East is the foundation for peace and prosperity for the world, and of course for Japan,”’ Abe said in Cairo in the first leg of a regional tour.

‘Should we leave terrorism or weapons of mass destruction to spread in this region, the loss imparted upon the international community would be immeasurable.”’

Highlighting his concern, Abe told a meeting of the Japan-Egypt Business Committee that Tokyo would provide non-military financial backing for countries fighting the al-Qaeda breakaway group, also known as ISIL.

‘I will pledge assistance of a total of about 200 million US dollars for those countries contending with ISIL, to help build their human capacities, infrastructure, and so on,” Abe said.

Stability has remained elusive in West Asia since the Arab Spring uprisings toppled veteran autocrats and raised hopes of democracy and economic prosperity.

“There is no shortcut to nipping violence in the bud. There is no way other than bringing stability to people’s livelihoods and fostering a middle class, even if it takes time,’’ Abe said.

In addition to the $2.2-billion in assistance Japan pledged for West Asia two years ago, Abe said his government would provide another $2.5 billion in non-military assistance in fields such as humanitarian assistance and infrastructure.

Abe’s tour will also include Jordan, Palestinian territories, Lebanon and Turkey.

The Japanese leader stressed the need for economic growth in West Asia, where militants often try to exploit frustrations with issues such as unemployment and neglected schools to gain recruits.

Security crackdowns alone have failed to defeat militancy in Egypt, the most populous Arab country, and other states as well.

Japan will provide Egypt with $360 million in loans for projects, including an airport and a power grid in a country suffering from an energy crisis, Abe said.

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