Alliance of Subordination Japan-US Alliance and SDF ? Part IV

Japan Press Weekly

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Alliance of Subordination
Japan-US Alliance and SDF ? Part IV

Bilateral military planning since 1955

The Japanese Self-Defense Forces were developed into an attack military with the support of the U.S. forces. During the process, they also developed joint operation planning in accordance with Article 5 of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty.

Initiated in 1952

The launch of the planning for bilateral military operations was publicly declared by the 1978 Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation. However, it was actually launched much earlier - during the 1950s.

According to the declassified U.S. Pacific Command History for 1973, “U.S.-Japan combined military planning scheme” was initiated in 1952, even before the SDF was established. The first plan was published in 1955, right after the launch of the SDF and “has since been updated each year.”

“The Coordinated Join Outline Emergency Plan (CJOEP)-73” is the name of the secret military planning. “The plan was submitted annually to the JCS (Joint Chiefs of Staff) for approval,” the command history says.

The declassified document also reveals that the planning was done by the Japanese-U.S. military “Coordination Planning Committee (CPC).” It goes on to say, “On the Japanese side, only military people and a few selected members of the government were aware of the combined military planning and knowledge of the existence of the plan was classified SECRET.”

‘Emergency situation’

The question that needs to be asked is, on what assumption was the military planning conducted. The 1978 Guidelines included the scenario of a direct attack on Japan as well as the scenario of a military conflict in the Far East.

The “New Guidelines” created in 1997 assigned the SDF to provide logistic support for the U.S. forces “under emergency situations in areas surrounding Japan.” This was the structure in place by which Japan would be automatically mobilized even if the U.S. forces recognized emergency situations in areas without geographical limits.

Recently revealed was the joint operation plan “5055,” based on both the original and new guidelines. Assuming an outbreak of emergency situations in Korea, the plan has been regularly updated.

The U.S. forces and the SDF have allegedly finished another joint operation plan to deal with emergency situations in and around Taiwan.

The risk is increasing for Japan to become directly involved in U.S. military operations which have nothing to do with its own defense, and for the JSDF to exercise the right of collective self-defense which is prohibited by the Constitution.

(To be continued)