Young conservatives seek legality for SDF to use arms abroad

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Young conservatives seek legality for SDF to use arms abroad

A group of hawkish young Dietmembers of the Democratic Party of Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party, and the Komei Party has compiled an outline of their original bill to enable the Self Defense Forces to use weapons abroad in disregard of the war-renouncing Japanese Constitution.

They are considering submitting this bipartisan bill to the ordinary session of the Diet next year.

Revealed on October 17, the outline of the “international peace cooperation” bill was drafted based on the existing Law Concerning the United Nations Peace Keeping Operations and Other Operations (PKO law).

The existing law requires the Diet to approve a time-limited special measures law each time the SDF is dispatched to other countries.

However, the new bill will authorize the government to permanently dispatch the SDF abroad under its own discretion if the Diet approves it in advance.

With this bill, the SDF will be capable of operating practically the same missions as U.S. forces are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The bill will also substantially ease the restrictions on the use of weapons and will enable the SDF to exercise force to eliminate resistance and obstacles to SDF overseas activities.

- Akahata, October 18, 2010