Posted on 02/06/2014 6:57:12 AM PST by mac_truck
In hopes of persuading a nervous coalition partner and skeptical public, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday mapped out a three-step path for allowing Japan to use force to defend allies without altering its pacifist constitution.
"We're now facing disadvantages because we don't have" the ability to exercise the right to collective self-defense, Abe told the upper house budget committee Wednesday.
By spelling out his plans in detail, Abe hopes to sway the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's dovish coalition partner, New Komeito, which has been reluctant to go along with his effort to expand Japan's military role.
The prime minister looked at possibilities such as an attack on a U.S. ship in international waters near Japan. Due to constitutional restraints, the Self-Defense Force would be unable to respond, even if its ships were nearby. And Japanese ships equipped with the Aegis anti-missile system would be unable to intercept North Korean ballistic missiles aimed at Guam.
His goal is to pave the way for the SDF to use force to defend the U.S. and other allies by changing the government's interpretation of the charter.
(Excerpt) Read more at asia.nikkei.com ...
Yes, probably good news for Taipei & Seoul, bad news for Peking.
Time to raise the “Rising Sun” as he can’t depend on U.S. anymore.
I would welcome Japan taking a leadership role in this regard which lessens the burden carried by the United States. The question is whether other countries in the region affected by China’s more aggressive military posture (Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, etc) will accept Japan playing such a role.
Amazing. He wants permission to DEFEND US shipping. If under attack the treaty will be useless. What he’s saying is that we’ll chicken out and leave the area if China only attacks one of our ships.
Japan can not depend on the USA with Obama as CIC. Obama has insulted and abandoned our greates allies and shown how he doesn’t even care about our troops and citizens overseas. The only interest he has shown is defending and fighting on behalh of the mislim brotherhood.
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