Anachronism of 'Council on Security and Defense Capabilities' report

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Anachronism of 'Council on Security and Defense Capabilities' report

Akahata Editorial

The government "Council on Security and Defense Capabilities" chaired by Tokyo Electric Power Co. President Tunehisa Katsumata on August 4 submitted to Prime Minister Aso Taro a report regarding the government's next Defense Program Outline due to be revised later this year.

The report, which has so far been restrained in dealing with issues of international security and defense of Japan, now argues that the time has come for Japan to "be more proactive" and set to expand its military role. By the same token it called for the constitutional principles of peace, including the "exclusively defensive defense" and the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles," to be re-examined. We oppose this dangerous proposal that regards the Japan-U.S. military alliance as an absolute necessity.

Quest to share nuclear attack preparedness with U.S.

The report emphasizes that Japan should play a proactive role in the alliance with the United States. This means that Japan should voluntarily participate in U.S. military strategy and play an active role militarily. Clearly, Japan is trying to volunteer to take part in dangerous military activities just as Britain did in invading Iraq with the United States.

What the report terms as "proactive international cooperation for peace" will not be limited to extending rear support to U.S. forces. It will necessarily develop into dispatches of Japanese troops abroad as part of U.S. forces' military attacks such as in the Iraq war.

It also seeks to make it legal for Japanese troops to use weapons abroad, which was made possible under the anti-piracy law. We must stop any attempt to increase overseas deployments of Japanese troops and the eventual establishment of a permanent law to make such deployment possible without parliamentary approval.

The report emphasizes the importance of "maintaining the credibility of extended deterrent that includes conventional weapons."

"Extended deterrence" is a concept of the U.S. nuclear attack policy set forth by the U.S. Bush administration with the aim of annihilating an enemy using both nuclear and conventional weapons. This concept is stipulated in the Japan-U.S. agreement signed in May 2007. The present report also calls for Japan to be prepared to assist in "extended deterrence." If Japan continues to maintain the secret agreement with the United States on allowing the entry of nuclear weapons into Japan and increase joint aircraft training exercises between the U.S. forces and the Self-Defense Forces, it will mean standing by the policy of "extended deterrence."

The costly ballistic missile defense system is the core of "extended deterrence." The Pentagon' "Nuclear Posture Review" report states that the missile defense system is a defense system that protects the capability to attack.

What is more, the panel report states that Japan should intercept missiles fired at the United States and that Japan is tasked to defend U.S. warships on the high seas, and calls for constitutional interpretation to be changed in this regard. Thus, Japan is setting out to incorporate itself into the U.S. nuclear attack preparedness by making it legal to exercise the right to collective self-defense, which the Japanese government has said is illegal. This is an extraordinary policy that completely disregards the peace and security of Japan.

It is also serious that the panel report states that Japan should consider maintaining the capability to attack enemy bases and review the present arms export ban.

Look at the trend toward peace

The panel report insists on the need to strengthen the Japan-U.S. military alliance on the pretext of "threats being proliferated" throughout the world. However, the fact is that the hegemony of the United States as the sole superpower has failed since the failure of the Iraq War, giving rise to the global movement for peace. It is absurd to discuss the issue of security without taking into account this strong call for peace.

The task now is for Japan to shift to an independent diplomacy guided by Article 9 of the Constitution.

- Akahata, August 8, 2009