The Liberal Democratic Party's "national defense" panel has publicly called for the war renouncing constitutional provision to be replaced by an assertion of Japan's right to collective self-defense.
The outline of a document entitled "Establishment of Japan's Defense Policy"was adopted by the panel on February 5, emphasizing that the Self-Defense Forces, as Japan's armed forces, should be authorized to take part in military actions with the U.S. forces or multinational forces.
The panel also called for the role of the Japan-U.S. alliance to be globalized on the grounds of the need to deal with emerging threats.
The document specifically called for new guidelines to be made with a view to requiring Japan to exercise the right of collective self-defense.
Stressing the need for contingency legislation to be enacted in the current Diet session, the panel demanded that the government push ahead with a missile defense program and promote the Defense Agency to a Defense Ministry.
The LDP National Defense Division plans to discuss the proposal and adopt it as the party's formal proposal. (end)
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