China: Japan has an Axe to Grind (China stresses over Japanese troops to Iraq)

People Daily (China) ^ | 07.30.03

[Dr. Marten]

 

China:  Japan has an Axe to Grind

 

 

Despite a last-ditch protest by all the opposition parties, Japan's Upper House approved a controversial bill on Saturday to send the Self-Defence Forces (SDF) to help rebuild Iraq.

Under the new law, which is valid for four years, Japan will dispatch some 1,000 of its SDF soldiers to Iraq in October. Their role will be to provide logistics support to the United States and British forces in humanitarian relief, reconstruction efforts and peacekeeping operations.

The new law, for the first time, enables Japan to send its SDF troops overseas to an occupied country where war has not yet officially ended at the request of the occupying authorities, and not the country's government.

Tokyo defines the objective of the Iraq assistance law as helping bring stability and democracy to the war-ravaged country.

But is there any specific need to utilize the SDF in the rebuilding operations, which is banned under the peace principles of its own Constitution, not to mention the justification for the US-led invasion of Iraq, a still hotly contested issue?

Under Article 9 of its post-World War II Constitution, Japan "forever renounces war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force.'' This provision has been traditionally interpreted as prohibiting the nation from exercising the right to collective defence, including joint military operations with US forces and collective security activities, such as United Nations peace-keeping operations.

During the Diet -- the Japanese parliament -- debate, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said SDF troops will stay clear of combat zones and adhere to the rules of the non use of force.

With the US and allied casualties caused by guerrilla attacks in Iraq occurring almost daily, it will be difficult to distinguish combat from noncombat zones amid the volatile Iraqi situation. Furthermore, there is no assurance, for now at least, that the SDF personnel will not get bogged down in combat-like scenarios where lurking dangers could necessitate the use of force.

The basic question, therefore, is what role the SDF should play? Koizumi reportedly told the Diet following the enactment of the Iraq law that a permanent law should be established to define the role of the SDF in its overseas peacekeeping operations.

Since the end of the Cold War Japan has been expanding its military role overseas, in particular under the banner of fighting terrorism, since the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US.

To build confidence among its Asian neighbours, Japan needs to rethink its security policies on expanding its international presence. (China Daily News)

[Dr. Marten]

Ping!

[never4get]

Ahhhhh, the Japanese have yet to unleash their secret weapon!!!!

With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound
He pulls the spitting high tension wires down
Helpless Bath Members on a dirty ol'train
Scream bug-eyed as he looks in on them
He picks up a bus and he throws it back down
As he wades through the buildings toward the center of town

Oh no, they say he's got to go go go Godzilla
Oh no, there go the Fayadeen go go go Godzilla

History shows again and again
How Japan will point up the folly of a Saddam mad man
History shows again and again
How Japan will point up the folly of a Saddam mad man

-Soft White Underbelly a/k/a Blue Oyster Cult
(with a little self liberties taken on the song)

[yankeedame]

Sounds like it's the other way around: China has an axe to grind....and an ego to deal with. Due to events taking place around the world China finds itself pushed to the back burner and its ego doesn't like it one bit.

[Semper Paratus]

The one thing that would get China to move against NK is the threat of Japanese intervention.

[George W. Bush]

The one thing that would get China to move against NK is the threat of Japanese intervention.

Not Japanese intervention. Japanese nukes. And Australian nukes. Both are quietly in the works. And we're helping and encouraging this.

[tallhappy]

And troops from Taiwan should go to Liberia if that intervention takes place.

[FreepForever]

To build confidence among its Asian neighbours, Japan needs to rethink its security policies on expanding its international presence.

Those jokers at China Daily are real funny. To build confidence among Japan’s Asian neighbours, Japan needs to flex their military muscles to keep China’s ever expanding military machine under check. Yes, you jokers at China Daily are correct, Japan is rethinking their security policies and they are on the right track.

[skeeter]

Under Article 9 of its post-World War II Constitution, Japan "forever renounces war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force.''

Thats rich. This reminder from a country who uses threats of armed force as the diplomatic measure of first resort.

[Dr. Marten]

Well, aside from the NK issue, one of the primary reasons that Japan has been forced to rethink it's defense policy is due to the growing military power of China and their willingness to use it in order to get what they want.

[Dr. Marten]

>>And troops from Taiwan should go to Liberia if that intervention takes place.

Oh, wouldn't that blow China's lid off. That could be better than any Taiwanese referendum on Independence.