Posted on 12/24/2005 7:30:49 PM PST by Yak
TOKYO - The Japanese government has decided to proceed with the United States in developing a joint missile defense shield, a top government official said Saturday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said steps would be taken to ensure the decision to pursue the shield, which uses defensive missiles to destroy attacking ones before they reach their targets, does not violate Japan’s pacifist constitution.
“Amid proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles, the system is a genuinely defensive, and the only instrument to protect the lives and assets of our people,” Abe said. “It suits the defense policy of our country, whose policy is to limit forces for defense.”
However, the project calls for Japan to relax its arms export laws to deploy the system — a major shift from the 1967 policy that bans weapons shipments to communist bloc nations, countries under U.N. arms embargoes or those engaged in conflicts.
Easing the restrictions would mainly free up Japan and the United States to jointly develop and produce a system to intercept a missile strike by a foreign power.
Abe said the easing also does not violate Japan’s pacifist constitutionals bans on the use of force as a means to settle international disputes.
“Should there be a need to provide weapons to the United States under the joint project, Japan will do so under extremely strict controls.”
On the lookout for North Korean missiles Since last year, the U.S. Navy has been patrolling the Sea of Japan, on the lookout for missiles from North Korea. The isolated, communist North shocked Tokyo and other nations when it test-fired a missile over northern Japan in 1998.
Analysts say North Korea is developing long-range missiles capable of reaching Alaska, Hawaii or perhaps the U.S. West Coast.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
I guess they haven't been told by the libs that this system will never work.
The US/Japan joint venture is interesting.
In this area Japan has more to worry about than we do considering their immediate neighbors.
ping
My prediction (for what it's worth) is all hell will break loose after the Olympic Games in China.
Hopefully we'll catch on by then. We have spies, at least in some countries. I hope we have some good spies in Beijing.
The problem will be if Hillary gets elected. With Hillary in the White House, the Chinese are on their honor not to invade Taiwan. It's theirs for the taking.
2008 will be strangely remeniscent of the 1936 olympics, and by 2012, they will have stolen everything they need from us. And by that point, barring a miracle, they will take the rest of what's left.
Merry Christmas!!!
Hitler waited three years after his Olympics.
Japan has no friends in Asia, not one. Their only hope for survival is the United States.
That may be true (although Taiwan and the Taiwanese people are VERY pro Japanese for an Asian country), however they do have very good friends in the Great South Land.
Funny thing is that the growing military ties between Australia and Japan is making it easier for countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore to engage more deeply with Japan.
Plus the rise of the PRC is starting to scare some of them into hedging their bets.
Japan * ping * (kono risuto ni hairitai ka detai wo shirasete kudasai : let me know if you want on or off this list)
メリークリスマス！
Hey ...how about me ?
How are you celebrating Christmas man ?
My daughter and her friends are having a " nabe " party here , so in about an hour wifey and I are off to soak in the soothing onsen waters of Tsuetate , and then savor the epicurean delights of a local izakaya ! Go !
With their ability to manipulate tiny things, we will be invincible :-)
I am trying to figure out which countries in Asia are friends. South Korea and....? China and....? Taiwan and....? Not a lot of chumminess amongst the Asian powers.
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