Japan-U.S. joint command post exercises held assuming local governments role

Akahata of April 22 revealed that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces in February 2002 held Japan-U.S. joint command post exercises (CPX) with the U.S. forces on the assumption that Japan's local governments will be forced to cooperate in declared emergencies.

The story is based on Defense Agency documents concerning the CPX basic program, which Akahata obtained using the Free Access to Information Law.

The CPX basic program is based on the 1999 Law on Measures to Deal with Situations in Areas Surrounding Japan.

Calling for the need to increase the SDF's command capacity in order to have the central government ministries and local governments closely cooperate with the U.S. Forces in Japan (USFJ) in contingencies, the agency in the CPX set up a special section to organize them.

Details of the CPX has not been made known by the agency, but the 1999 law allows the government to "request" local governments to support the USFJ in emergencies by allowing the use of civil airports and ports, relieving and transporting injured U.S. soldiers, and conveying personnel and material.

The government has the legal right to carry out such exercises, the Defense Agency insists.

This shows that the government's scenario of mobilizing local governments for U.S. wars is more apparent now in the Japan-U.S. joint exercises. The danger is that the contingency bills, if enacted, will allow the government to "order" local governments to support the USFJ and the SDF, Akahata stated. (end)