defense

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Boosting readiness to send SDF abroad threatens peace in Asia
Akahata editorial (excerpts)

The Defense Agency on August 2 published its annual defense report based on the National Defense Program Outline (Dec. 2004) in line with the U.S. Bush administration's global military realignment.

Concerning "cooperation in international peace activities" that enables Japan to participate in U.S. preemptive wars, like the one against Iraq, the report states, "This is aimed at working to make Japan's peace and security more solid rather than to make an 'international contribution'."

In pushing the readiness for dispatching the SDF to wars abroad, the government is stepping up preparations for sending troops abroad while the Liberal Democratic Party is contemplating revising the Constitution's Article 9 to make it constitutional for Japan to maintain armed forces and participate in foreign wars.

Citing the threat of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism, the defense report maintains that it is now very important for Japan to improve the international security environment and stave off threats to Japan, apparently with the aim of justifying Japan's cooperation with U.S. forces in the war in Iraq.

The deployment of the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq is associated with the U.S. first strike policy. While advocating the need to improve the security environment, the government is supporting the war of aggression. Isn't this a copy of what Japan's old imperial government did to justify the war of aggression by calling it a "war in self-defense"?

The U.S. Bush administration declared that the U.S. must fight the threat of WMDs and terrorism anywhere in the world. In response to this, the defense report makes it clear that Japan will join preemptive strike operations by sending the SDF anywhere the U.S. decides to go. If Bush concludes that a country in Asia possesses WMDs or it is a terrorist state and makes a first strike against it, the SDF will participate with the U.S. forces.

Ostensibly to promote "cooperative activities for international peace," the government has established a central readiness command for overseas deployment of SDF units and a training command for international activities. Transport aircraft and other equipment have been upgraded. Meanwhile, the government aims at revising the SDF Law to upgrade international activities as a major SDF missions.

As regards the issue of the ongoing U.S. global military realignment, the report expressed Japan's readiness to actively accept it, pointing out that in a new international environment Japan must respond. It also stressed that this is an issue that calls for serious responses.

The report expressed the agency's "deep concerns" over North Korea's military activities while paying close attention to China's military modernization. Regarding these countries as hypothetical enemies, Japan adheres to the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty as absolute and continues to cooperate in the U.S. military realignment scheme. This will only increase military tension in Asia.

Opposition to the U.S. military presence in Japan has been growing in all local municipalities hosting U.S. bases, especially in Okinawa. The popular struggle in cooperation with local governments is focused on the ongoing U.S. military realignment. Any steps endangering people by act of supporting U.S. military bases buildup must be avoided.

The world's majority are opposed to the U.S. Iraq war. More than half of the 37 participant countries in the war have withdrawn or will withdraw their forces from Iraq. Criticisms are increasing of the U.S. first strike policy with the option to use nuclear weapons. All this requires Japan to stop paving the way toward isolating itself from Asia and the rest of the world.

The only way for Japan to promote peace is to stop any preparations for SDF dispatches abroad and to promote building up peaceful and friendly relations with the rest of Asia and the world. -- Akahata, August 3, 2005