June 21, 2015
A unit of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force on June 20 participated in a multinational military exercise in Mongolia for the first time, ahead of the revision of the UN peacekeeping operations (PKO) act.
Mongolia and the U.S. annually host a joint drill, Khaan Quest, with a view to enhance PKO capabilities. Japan, until now, dispatched only GSDF instructors to this exercise.
The Japanese legislators have been discussing security-related legislation, the package of bills to revise 10 laws such as the PKO act and to establish a new comprehensive law, since late last month. The revised PKO act, if enacted, will add “patrol” and “checkpoint inspection” to Japan’s SDF assignments in UN security operations.
The GSDF in the latest Khaan Quest exercise underwent training for bomb disposal, checkpoint inspection, patrol, and operating columns of armored vehicles. The latter two included ways to cope with possible armed attacks.
The controversial security-related legislation will open the path for SDF participation in operations similar to International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations.
Gunfights often occurred around checkpoints in Afghanistan where ISAF members were on inspection missions. On August 28, 2008, German soldiers mistakenly killed a civilian woman and two innocent children, wounding another four children at a checkpoint in the Afghan province of Kundu.
Past related articles:
> Abe is telling a pack of lies about war legislation: SDF members [June 14, 2015]
> Abe might dispatch SDF under war legislation to participate in ISAF-like force [June 4, 2015]
> Kill Abe’s war legislation bills that totally trample on Constitution [May 27, 2015]
Mongolia and the U.S. annually host a joint drill, Khaan Quest, with a view to enhance PKO capabilities. Japan, until now, dispatched only GSDF instructors to this exercise.
The Japanese legislators have been discussing security-related legislation, the package of bills to revise 10 laws such as the PKO act and to establish a new comprehensive law, since late last month. The revised PKO act, if enacted, will add “patrol” and “checkpoint inspection” to Japan’s SDF assignments in UN security operations.
The GSDF in the latest Khaan Quest exercise underwent training for bomb disposal, checkpoint inspection, patrol, and operating columns of armored vehicles. The latter two included ways to cope with possible armed attacks.
The controversial security-related legislation will open the path for SDF participation in operations similar to International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations.
Gunfights often occurred around checkpoints in Afghanistan where ISAF members were on inspection missions. On August 28, 2008, German soldiers mistakenly killed a civilian woman and two innocent children, wounding another four children at a checkpoint in the Afghan province of Kundu.
Past related articles:
> Abe is telling a pack of lies about war legislation: SDF members [June 14, 2015]
> Abe might dispatch SDF under war legislation to participate in ISAF-like force [June 4, 2015]
> Kill Abe’s war legislation bills that totally trample on Constitution [May 27, 2015]
