Japan Press Weekly

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2015 April 8 - 14 [POLITICS]

Revision of Japan-US defense guidelines to be in line with Abe’s war legislation is unacceptable

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

Visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter held talks regarding the revision of the Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation with Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and Defense Minister Nakatani Gen on April 8 in Tokyo. With these meetings, it has once again come to light that the revision of the guidelines is being carried out in tandem with the process of giving shape to PM Abe’s “war legislation” proposal and aims to open the way for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces’ participation in U.S.-led wars worldwide.

The guidelines describe in detail the various roles that the SDF and the U.S. military share in their military operations. The original guidelines were compiled in 1978 and revised in 1997. The Japanese and U.S. governments plan to revise the current guidelines during a bilateral Security Consultative Committee (two plus two) meeting scheduled to be held on April 27.

The U.S. defense secretary in the meeting with PM Abe said that the revision of the guidelines will open new opportunities for the Japan-U.S. alliance and supposedly guarantee regional as well as worldwide peace and stability.

The Pentagon chief at a joint press conference with his Japanese counterpart Nakatani said that the revised guidelines will “transform the U.S.-Japan alliance, expanding opportunities for the U.S. armed forces and the Japan Self-Defense Forces to cooperate seamlessly.” Carter went on to stress that the new guidelines will help the two countries “respond flexibly to the full scope of challenges” they may face, both in the Asia Pacific region and around the globe.

The Japanese defense minister at the press conference emphasized the importance of “having consistency” between the guideline review and development of war legislation. He expressed his intention to incorporate discussions on developing the legislation in the revised guidelines.

The proposed war legislation will allow the SDF to be dispatched to battlefields anywhere in the world to assist U.S. forces. It is impermissible for the Abe administration to promise to offer such military assistance to the U.S. in the revision of the bilateral defense guidelines before starting Diet deliberations on the issue. The Abe government seeks to introduce war legislation-related bills in the Diet in the middle of next month.


Past related article:
> Revision of Japan-US defense guidelines would allow SDF to join in wars abroad [October 9, 2014]