Japan Weighs Sending Personnel to Mideast : Debate: Parliament is to receive a ‘U.N. Peace Cooperation Bill.’ But quick action is not expected.

Japan is considering sending thousands of people to the Middle East to take part in the multinational effort against Iraq and debating whether to include members of the armed forces, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Friday.

No decision is expected soon, the spokesman, Taizo Watanabe, told reporters.

Earlier in the day, Japan announced that it will commit $4 billion to the Middle East campaign, half of it for the multinational force and half for the countries suffering the most severe economic impact, Turkey, Jordan and Egypt.

The government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are debating a “U.N. Peace Cooperation Bill” to be submitted to Parliament. The debate is likely to go on for months, according to a Foreign Ministry official who asked not to be identified.

According to Watanabe, the ministry spokesman, one of the issues being debated is whether to include servicemen in the personnel sent to the Middle East.

So far, Japan has said it will send 100 civilian medical personnel to the Middle East, and Watanabe said the first 17 of these will leave Tuesday for Saudi Arabia.

Watanabe criticized the House of Representatives for voting Wednesday to demand that Japan pay the entire cost of maintaining American troops in Japan.

“I wonder,” he said, “how many of them know that Japan is already the largest contributor of host nation support to U.S. forces anywhere in the world? We have made it clear again and again . . . that we are prepared to examine an increase.”

He said he believes Congress would not have criticized Japan if it had known of the Middle East aid program Japan announced Friday.

“From the beginning, several hours after (Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait), Japan made it clear that we would not condone this outrageous act,” Watanabe said.

He said the United States had not consulted Japan before sending troops to the Middle East and that this delayed Japan’s learning of the details of the need for financial assistance.

“We understand the need for urgent action,” he said, “but for the future, there should be a much better framework for consultation.”

He said Japan is the only non-Arab country that has announced aid for both the multinational force and for Middle East countries suffering because of the sanctions against Iraq.

U.S. Ambassador Michael H. Armacost, who had urged Japan to increase its initial pledge of $1 billion in aid to the multinational force, issued a statement praising Friday’s move as “a major new financial contribution.”

“This decision clearly demonstrates that Japan is a full partner in the ongoing efforts of the international community to work toward a just and peaceful resolution of the crisis,” Armacost said.