Abe gov’t presents conditions for sending SDF to combat zones
June 5, 2014
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2014 June 4 - 10 [POLITICS]
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The Abe government on June 3 presented to the ruling parties new criteria for Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to provide logistic support to the U.S. or multinational forces abroad. The criteria, aimed at lifting restrictions on SDF activities which have been limited to “non-combat areas”, will lead to dispatching SDF troops to war zones.
The government proposal removes the conventional distinction between “combat areas” and “non-combat areas”. It regards activities which meet all the following conditions as “integrated with military actions” and restrains the SDF from joining such activities: support for foreign troops engaged in military actions; providing goods or services directly related to combat; support for foreign troops in battlefronts; other activities closely connected with individual military operations by foreign forces. This means that in a case not satisfying even one of the four above conditions, the SDF will be allowed to engage in almost every logistic support activity.
Under such conditions, SDF troops can supply water and food to foreign troops as well as provide medical service to injured foreign soldiers in combat regions for the reason that those services have “no direct relation” to military actions. Even the supply of fuel, weapons and ammunition, if they are intended for “storage”, will be permitted as well because they have “no close connection” with combat operations. In short, the SDF will be able to conduct logistic support operations unlimitedly in battle areas.
Even in the name of “backup support”, once SDF troops enter war zones, they will inevitably face counterattacks. Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s claim that “Japan will never again become a war-fighting nation” has turned out to be a downright lie.
It is absolutely intolerable that Japan employs its armed forces abroad with no regard to the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution.
Past related article:
> PM Abe hints at enabling SDF to enter combat zones [May 29, 2014]
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