Japan Press Weekly

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2015 April 22 - 28 [POLITICS]

New Japan-US defense cooperation guidelines reflect Abe’s hawkish ambitions

Akahata editorial (excerpt)

Japan’s foreign and defense ministers on April 27 agreed with their U.S. counterparts on the revised Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation Guidelines which outline the roles of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and U.S. forces in bilateral military cooperation. This is the first revision in 18 years. The ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties are working to develop war legislation to embody the new guidelines. The revised guidelines and the planned legislation reflect Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s desire to turn Japan into a country ready and willing to fight in foreign wars.

It is a matter of great concern that the new guidelines will enable the SDF to go abroad to support the U.S. troops engaging in military activities in not only the Asia-Pacific area, but anywhere in the world. In discussions pertaining to the war legislation, the ruling parties have clearly shown their intent to make a permanent law to enable rapid SDF overseas dispatch.

The new guidelines state that it is impossible to geographically specify an area where a situation that will pose a serious threat to Japan’s peace and security will occur. The ruling bloc is considering removing from the Law Concerning Measures to Ensure the Peace and Security of Japan in Situations in Areas near Japan the geographical restriction, “in Areas near Japan”.

It is also significant that the new guidelines specify Japan’s possible exercise of the collective self-defense right. The ruling parties’ war legislation aims to permit the SDF to use force even in situations where the U.S. military is facing counterattacks to its preemptive strikes.

The new guidelines and the planned war legislation, which trample on Article 9 of the Constitution, represent the Abe government’s outrageously hawkish nature, and go against public opinion. Japan is now at a historical crossroad between war and peace. The need is to strengthen people’s joint efforts to block Abe’s attempt to turn Japan into a war-making nation.