Posted on 07/10/2006 5:34:36 AM PDT by Brilliant
Japan said Monday it was considering whether a pre-emptive strike on the North's missile bases would violate its constitution, signaling a hardening stance ahead of a possible U.N. Security Council vote on Tokyo's proposal for sanctions against the regime.
Japan was badly rattled by North Korea's missile tests last week and several government officials openly discussed whether the country ought to take steps to better defend itself, including setting up the legal framework to allow Tokyo to launch a pre-emptive strike against Northern missile sites.
"If we accept that there is no other option to prevent an attack ... there is the view that attacking the launch base of the guided missiles is within the constitutional right of self-defense. We need to deepen discussion," Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said.
Japan's constitution currently bars the use of military force in settling international disputes and prohibits Japan from maintaining a military for warfare. Tokyo has interpreted that to mean it can have armed troops to protect itself, allowing the existence of its 240,000-strong Self-Defense Forces.
A Defense Agency spokeswoman, however, said Japan has no attacking weapons such as ballistic missiles that could reach North Korea. Its forces only have ground-to-air missiles and ground-to-vessel missiles, she said on condition of anonymity due to official policy.
Despite resistance from China and Russia, Japan has pushed for a U.N. Security Council resolution that would prohibit nations from procuring missiles or missile-related "items, materials goods and technology" from North Korea. A vote was possible in New York later Monday, but Japan said it would not insist on one.
"It's important for the international community to express a strong will in response to the North Korean missile launches," Abe said. "This resolution is an effective way of expressing that."
China and Russia, both nations with veto power on the council, have voiced opposition to the measure. Kyodo News agency reported Monday, citing unnamed Chinese diplomatic sources, that China may use its veto on the Security Council to block the resolution.
The United States, Britain and France have expressed support for the proposal, while Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso has said there is a possibility that Russia will abstain.
South Korea, not a council member, has not publicly taken a position on the resolution, but on Sunday Seoul rebuked Japan for its outspoken criticism of the tests.
"There is no reason to fuss over this from the break of dawn like Japan, but every reason to do the opposite," a statement from President Roh Moo-hyun's office said, suggesting that Tokyo was contributing to tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Abe said Monday it was "regrettable" that South Korea had accused Japan of overreacting.
"There is no mistake that the missile launch ... is a threat to Japan and the region. It is only natural for Japan to take measures of risk management against such a threat," Abe said.
Meanwhile, a Chinese delegation including the country's top nuclear envoy — Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei — arrived in North Korea on Monday, officially to attend celebrations marking the 45th anniversary of a friendship treaty between the North and China.
The U.S. is urging Beijing to push its communist ally back into six-party nuclear disarmament talks, but the Chinese government has not said whether Wu would bring up the negotiations. A ministry spokeswoman said last week that China was "making assiduous efforts" in pushing for the talks to resume.
Talks have been deadlocked since November because of a boycott by Pyongyang in protest of a crackdown by Washington on the regime's alleged money-laundering and other financial crimes.
Beijing has suggested an informal gathering of the six nations, which could allow the North to technically stand by its boycott, but at the same time meet with the other five parties — South Korea, China, the U.S., Japan and Russia. The U.S. has backed the idea and said Washington could meet with the North on the sidelines of such a meeting.
Still, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill questioned just how influential Beijing was with the enigmatic regime.
"I must say the issue of China's influence on DPRK is one that concerns us," Hill told reporters in Tokyo. "China said to the DPRK, 'Don't fire those missiles,' but the DPRK fired them. So I think everybody, especially the Chinese, are a little bit worried about it."
The DPRK refers to the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Hill is touring the region to coordinate strategy on North Korea. He has emphasized the need for countries involved to present a united front.
"We want to make it very clear that we all speak in one voice on this provocative action by the North Koreans to launch missiles in all shapes and sizes," Hill said. "We want to make it clear to North Korea that what it did was really unacceptable."
The Japanese are fools if they do not obtain a nuclear deterrent. It is time to revise their terms of surrender from WWII, that prevents them from acquiring a nuclear force. The Japanese are our allies and can be trusted.
I'd have expected them to be begging the US to drop the shoe on NK - and maybe that is their goal in any event.
They'd have to 'borrow' a lot of ordnance from some understanding ally in order to dent NK - maybe THAT is their goal.
On the other hand, NK cannot be a stable place and taking out a few select targets, military, political, and infrastructure, might allow their neighbors (excepting SK) to stand back and watch the place fall into pieces.
Personally, were I the president I'd remind them that they wanted us out, and we have our troops packing up to move to Guam and new bases along the US/mex border.
Might leave behind a few bombs suitable for attachment to their limited air strike capability.
When N.K. is attacked by anyone, I believe their response will be to launch an attack against S. Korea. We have troops there and I hope they are ready.
"a million artillery shells an hour would be rained on Seoul in the first day of any conflict from North Korean artillery hidden in caves. The North Koreans could fire 200 mobile rocket launchers and launch up to 600 Scud missiles."
"American and South Korean casualties, excluding civilians, are projected at between 300,000 and 500,000 in the first 90 days of war."
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19737508-601,00.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1662993/posts
This is an empty threat. A Japanese attack on NK would bring immediate retaliation, with China probably jumping in, and things would rapidly go straight to hell.
If Japan is willing to step up to shoulder some of this then great. Why must we be the leading deterring influence everywhere?
That is why I say that the only kind of strike that would work is a nuke attack. You've gotta knock out the thousands of artillery that are just over the border from Seoul. Otherwise, Seoul will be wiped out in minutes and hundreds of thousands will be killed. You can't do it with just conventional weaponry. The artillery is too spread out.
" The Japanese are our allies and can be trusted."
A wise , old hermaphrodite once told me , " Never trust a Jap " ...
Forget nukes, send Godzilla!
It's amazing to me that we act as if we had no 'hole card' to play with regard to China and it's reluctance to apply pressure to North Korea.
Every step of the way there has been some reason why we couldn't stop trade with China. Oh yes, it was going to modify their behavior. It was going to bring them into the fold of enlightened nations. It was going to be a win/win for everyone.
Now we find that China not only still persecutes it's own people, it winks at paria states and thumbs it's nose at the West.
Folks, our trade relations with China is a world-class embarassment. It's bought us nothing but a world exposed to China's growing trouble-making.
We should yank the chain on this situation and let China fall in on itself.
Fortunately, W is smarter than that. He realizes that a couple of hippie protesters don't represent the whole of Japan. If you believe that most Japanese don't want us there, then you'll also believe that most Americans want to cut and run in Iraq. Hippies make a lot of noise, but are always a tiny minority.
I doubt that any of us will welcome a Japan capable of relaunching an imperialist campaign against South Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
I'm simply not assuming they don't. They aren't blind or stupid, and they understand who they are dealing with in that area of the world.
Didn't we already give them two?
Bttt! Right on the money. The media would have us believe that all our allies hate us and wish us gone. They'll get worse in the coming days, as they continue to try to isolate us.
I knew there was a reason they kept those Gundams in storage : )
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