Contingency law supposes guerrillas

Wartime legislation, which the government plans to submit to the current Diet session, assumes the need to cope with not only large-scale outside military attacks but also guerrilla attacks and the use of NBC weapons against Japan.

Defense Agency Director-General Nakatani Gen confirmed this at the Lower House Security Committee meeting on March 28 in reply to Japanese Communist Party Akamine Seiken.

Akamine warned that the wartime legislation conceives Japanese actions in support of U.S. military interventions in Asia as part of efforts to deal with situations in areas surrounding Japan.

The government has so far explained that wartime legislation is necessary to prepare for possible large-scale attacks, including ground invasions and sea-lane destructions.

However, Nakatani now admitted that the legislation also covers incursions into Japan by guerrillas, special troops, ballistic missiles, and by armed insurgents who may pretend to be political refugees to Japan.

Nakatani added, "Aggressions by terrorists or armed suspicious ships may be dealt with by wartime laws."

Akamine, pointing out that terror attacks and suspicious ships are subjects to be dealt with by the judiciary and law enforcement authorities, said the government has no legitimate grounds for rushing to enact wartime legislation.

The Defense Agency director-general hinted that punishment of municipalities for their disobedience to the government would be established in wartime legislation. (end)