Analysis: Prime Minister Koizumi's promise to send SDF into combat areas

In talks with U.S. President George W. Bush in Washington on September
25, Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro laid out the Japanese government's
plan to send the Self-Defense Forces abroad in support of U.S. military
retaliation.

Prime Minister Koizumi said he had a good meeting with U.S. President
Bush, indicating that a seven-point plan including the sending of the
Self-Defense Forces was welcomed by President Bush.

Declaring military support to the U.S., Japan stands out among the U.S.
allies. Several U.S. allies in Europe have offered support for and
solidarity with the U.S., but only Britain pledged to take part in U.S.
military operations.

The Japanese government plan to help the U.S. was produced quickly after
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage urged Japan to "show the
flag," followed by a rush decision to hold a summit meeting.

Prime Minister Koizumi said that the war on terrorism is "our own
struggle to maintain Japan's security," but the seven-point plan includes no
concrete measures to help get terrorism eliminated.

Far from eradicating terrorism, the U.S. retaliation which Japan will
support will only help to provoke a new war that will cause tremendous
damage. This may lead to a cycle of terrorist attacks and military
retaliations.

Trampling down Constitution in one stroke

Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro, following a meeting with the other
ruling party heads on September 19, published the following seven-point
proposal as Japan's response to the simultaneous terrorist attacks:

(1) Take steps to enable the SDF to provide logistics support in areas
such as medical services, transportation, and shipment of supplies to the
U.S. military;

(2) Take steps to strengthen security measures at U.S. military bases in
Japan;

(3) Dispatch SDF ships to gather information;

(4) Further strengthen international cooperation over immigration control;

(5) Provide humanitarian and economic aid to neighboring and related
countries, including provision of emergency economic assistance to Pakistan
and India;

(6) Take steps to help refugees, possibly as part of aid by the SDF; and

(7) Cooperate with other countries and take steps so that there will be
no confusion in their economic systems

The prime minister has decided to send the Self Defense Forces abroad for
the first time under combat conditions, with Japan cooperating with U.S.
military operations of retaliation in violation of the peace principles of
the Japanese Constitution.

Japan was used by the U.S. forces as a stronghold for action during the
Vietnam War (1964-1975), but the Japanese Self-Defense Forces did not
formally take part in the war. In the Gulf War in 1991, Japan paid part of
the war costs in violation of the Constitution and took part in
mine-sweeping operations after the war ended, stopping short of sending the
SDF into combat. What Prime Minister Koizumi has promised to do is logistics
support, which is inseparable from combat operations as part of the U.S.
Forces taking military action in retaliation. This can be described as
Japan being a partner in a "collective war for vengeance."

Prime Minister Koizumi has admitted that the SDF "may have to go into
regions where combat takes place." In Washington, he said previously the
SDF were "not sent into dangerous places, but there is no longer such a
thing as a safe place."

To date, the government has been using subterfuge tactics and described
logistics support in the Guidelines-related laws (laws on measures to deal
with situations in areas surrounding Japan) as just "rear area support" in
areas clearly demarcated from combat areas. The fact is that logistics
support is part of war action and a use of force.

The prime minister's statement is intended to pave the way for sending
the SDF abroad on a full-fledged scale, even discarding the subterfuge.

Using the pretext of "research and study," the government has already
allowed SDF warships to escort a U.S. aircraft carrier leaving Japan's port.
On the same pretext, the government has plans to send an Aegis ship to the
Indian Ocean.

Parliament ignored

The government made a promise to the U.S. to send Japan's SDF abroad on
combat-related missions, a grave constitutional issue that has an important
bearing on Japan's future course, without consulting the people and the
parliament. This is in contravention of the principle of people's
sovereignty.

That was exactly how the government decided on Japan's response. Prime
Minister Koizumi made a decision on the response in late September 19.
Strangely, in the House of Councilors Budget Committee meeting on that day,
he kept silent about it and only after the parliamentary discussions ended
did he and his ruling coalition partners make a decision on the policy.

This is in sharp contrast with world public opinion, which is extremely
cautious about U.S. military retaliation.

A U.S. Gallup poll shows that out of 31 countries surveyed, the U.S. and
Israel are the only countries in which the opinion in favor of the use of
arms and military action formed the majority. Eighty percent of those
surveyed in European countries which are NATO members, and 90 percent in
Latin American countries supported action in which the suspects are handed
over and tried by courts, instead of resorting to military attacks.

In Japan, critical voices and movements are increasing that object to
U.S. military retaliation and to Japan sending the SDF to participate.

The government and the ruling parties plan to enact in October a new law
that will allow the SDF to support the U.S. forces in action. No one should
allow the government to ignore the people's opposition and send the SDF
abroad, just because the prime minister made a pledge to the U.S.
(end)