50 years of Japan-U.S. Alliance Illusion of ‘equality’

Japan Press Weekly

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50 years of Japan-U.S. Alliance Illusion of ‘equality’ - Part VII

Secret pacts ensure U.S. privileges

The United States set an absolute condition in revising the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty in order to enable itself to bring nuclear weapons into Japan and to be free to use bases in Japan. This might have directly led to the collapse of the Kishi Cabinet and the rejection of the treaty.

Record of Discussion

Therefore, both governments chose to make secret promises. Foreign Minister Fujiyama Aiichiro and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Douglas MacArthur reached a secret agreement on June 20, 1959. They initialed the “Record of Discussion” on January 6, 1960.

These two officials confirmed to designate the “Record of Discussion” as a confidential document “to permit the Japanese Government to deny the existence of any secret agreements (“Comparison of U.S. Base Rights in Japan and the Ryukyu Islands”, a report submitted by the security staff of the U.S. State and Defense Departments in 1966).”

In regard to the “introduction into Japan of nuclear weapons” or their deployment and stockpile in Japan, the “Record of Discussion” stipulates that it “shall be subjects of prior consultation with the Government of Japan.” However, prior consultation “will not be interpreted as affecting present procedures” regarding “those for the entry of United States military aircraft and the entry into Japanese waters and ports by United States naval vessels.” The “Record of Discussion” enables entry into Japanese ports of U.S. warships carrying nuclear weapons and does not equire prior consultation as established under the previous Security Treaty.

The “Record of Discussion”, on the one hand, defines “the use of facilities and areas in Japan as bases for military combat operations to be undertaken from Japan” as the subjects of prior consultation, but on the other, stipulates that nothing will be “construed as requiring prior consultation on the transfer of units of United States armed forces and their equipment from Japan.” Thus, the United States used “the transfer of units” as a vehicle to enable itself to freely use military facilities in Japan for combat military operations as a sortie stronghold for war without requiring Japan’s consent.

However, the government announced to the public that major changes in equipment of U.S. forces, including the introduction into Japan of nuclear weapons, and the use of facilities in Japan for military combat operations will be addressed by prior consultation and concealed the real decisions in regard to the operations as a secret arrangement. Former JCP Chair Fuwa pointed out, “It was a double-standard ‘arrangement’ (Akahata, August 3, 2009).”

True intention of ‘revision’

A secret agreement was also made in relation to military combat operations on the Korean Peninsula.

The former Japan-U.S. Security Treaty required Japan to support the United Nations forces in Korea. The revised treaty ostensibly stipulates that the use of U.S. military bases in Japan should be based on the new treaty (exchange of letters on official documents exchanged between PM Yoshida Shigeru and Acheson, January 19, 1960).

In reality, however, Fujiyama and MacArthur secretly reached an agreement that “in the event of an emergency resulting from an attack against the United Nations forces in Korea, facilities and areas in Japan may be used for such military combat operations as need be undertaken immediately by the United States armed forces in Japan” (Memorandum agreed upon between Fujiyama and MacArthur, June 23, 1960).

On the one hand they orchestrated the treaty to make it appear to be based on equality and on the other secretly ensured special privileges of the U.S. military as under the U.S. occupation of Japan. The agreement also ensures the United States the right to freedom of combat operations. This is what the “revision” of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty was really all about.

(To be continued)