Abe offers Bush helping hand with Japan-U.S. military alliance

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Abe offers Bush helping hand with Japan-U.S. military alliance

Prime Minister Abe and U.S. President Bush in their first talks emphasized the global nature of the Japan-U.S. alliance.

Abe and Bush agreed that both governments will further strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance based on universally shared values, that this alliance is forged in the interest of Asia and rest of the world, and that it will be made use of for the sake of peace in the region and the rest of the world.

In short, they agreed to further consolidate the "U.S.-Japan global alliance" set out in a joint statement that former Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro and Bush had made last June.

However, this does not mean that Abe has simply taken over the policy from Koizumi. By pledging continuous support to the U.S. war in Iraq and steady implementation of the plan to realign U.S. forces in Japan, Abe in fact offered an extra helping hand to the Bush administration which suffered a major setback in the U.S. midterm election.

Advocating the "war on terror," the Bush administration has been trying to incorporate its allies as well as the "coalition of the willing" into the U.S-led global setup of preemptive attack implemented since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

In accordance with this U.S. policy, the Japan-U.S. military alliance has been taking on a global role that includes the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces to the Indian Ocean and Iraq, the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, and the deployment of the missile defense system.

Meanwhile, U.S. military operations have become bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan, the major reason that caused the heavy defeat of the Republicans.

Regarding the objective of the recent APEC summit, Bush stressed "strengthening existing alliances" in order to defend the region "against the force of terror and extremism" in his speech at the University of Singapore on November 16.

By stressing the fight against terrorism, he obviously attempted to recover some vigor in his administration.

Abe showed his willingness to satisfy Bush's expectations.

Abe and Bush emphasized the significance of the missile defense system in their talks. Bush referred to the deployment of the missile defense system in Japan even in his speech at the University of Singapore.

The rapid deployment of the missile defense system is bringing about the military integration of the two countries, even leading to the exercise of the right of collective self-defense by intercepting ballistic missiles flying to the U.S., which has nothing to do with the defense of Japan. Abe already expressed his intention to push ahead with this scheme.
- Akahata, November 19, 2006