The drama continues... http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/07/10/us.nkorea.ap/index.html Japan debates strikes on N. Korea Discussions signal harder stance ahead of U.N. vote Monday, July 10, 2006; Posted: 7:09 a.m. EDT (11:09 GMT) TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Japan said Monday it was considering whether a pre-emptive strike on the North's missile bases would violate its constitution, signaling a hardening stance ahead of a possible U.N. Security Council vote on Tokyo's proposal for sanctions against the regime. While Japan talked of sanctions, China -- North Korea's top ally and benefactor -- pressed ahead with its diplomatic efforts to draw North Korea back to stalled six-nation talks on its nuclear weapons program, dispatching a high-profile delegation to Pyongyang on Monday. U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill huddled with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso and other officials in Tokyo on a tour of the region to coordinate a common strategy on the North's missile tests last week and urge Pyongyang to drop its months-long boycott of the nuclear talks. North Korea's missile tests last week caused no injuries or damage, but they sparked international condemnation. Officials in Japan -- badly shaken by the tests -- said Monday they were mulling whether their pacifist constitution allowed pre-emptive strikes on North Korean missile targets. "If we accept that there is no other option to prevent an attack ... there is the view that attacking the launch base of the guided missiles is within the constitutional right of self-defense. We need to deepen discussion," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe. Japan's U.S.-drafted constitution, untouched since it was enacted after World War II, foreswears the use of war to settle international disputes, but the government has interpreted that to allow defensive forces. The question is whether such a pre-emptive strike could be defined as self-defense. The discussions Monday came ahead of a possible vote Monday in the U.N. Security Council on Japan's U.S.-backed resolution to prohibit nations from procuring missiles or missile-related "items, materials goods and technology" from North Korea. While the U.S., Britain and France were behind the measure, the other two veto-wielding members of the council, China and Russia, favor a softer approach. Speculation was high that Russia would abstain if it came to a vote, but a Chinese veto was still considered a possibility. U.S. officials were calling for China to take a bolder stand with the North and to use its influence with Pyongyang to persuade it to return to the six-party talks, which are hosted by Beijing. Hill said Washington was working with both China and Russia to force a common approach. Still, he raised a rare question about how influential Beijing really was with the enigmatic regime. "I must say the issue of China's influence on DPRK is one that concerns us," Hill told reporters. "China said to the DPRK, `Don't fire those missiles,' but the DPRK fired them. So I think everybody, especially the Chinese, are a little bit worried about it." The DPKR refers to the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Despite the opposition, Japan showed no signs of backing away from the U.N. resolution. "It's important for the international community to express a strong will in response to the North Korean missile launches," Abe told reporters. "This resolution is an effective way of expressing that." China was also active on the U.N. front. Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing "exchanged views" by phone Sunday with his counterparts from 11 council members and South Korea, the Foreign Ministry said on its Web site. He "stressed that any action should be conducive to maintaining the peace and stability in the region and the unity of the Security Council," the two-sentence statement said without elaborating. On Monday, Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, China's chief nuclear negotiator, and Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu arrived in Pyongyang for a six-day stay. The two governments exchanged congratulatory messages marking the 45th anniversary of a friendship treaty between the neighbors. The Chinese government hasn't said whether Wu or Hui would bring up the six-nation nuclear talks. But a ministry spokeswoman said last week that China was "making assiduous efforts" in pushing for a resumption of the negotiations. Talks have been deadlocked since November because of a boycott by Pyongyang in protest of a crackdown by Washington on the regime's alleged money-laundering and other financial crimes. A North Korean delegation was expected in China on Tuesday to mark the treaty anniversary. North Korea agreed in September 2005 to give up its nuclear ambitions in return for aid and energy, but no progress has been made to implement that accord. As a way out of the impasse, China has suggested an informal gathering which could allow Pyongyang to technically stand by its boycott, but at the same time meet with the other five parties. Hill backed the proposal on Saturday, and said Washington could meet with the North on the sidelines of such a meeting. Hill said he discussed the proposal with Japan's Aso, but he refused to provide any details. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
It's time for China, and Russia, to a lesser degree, to wake up and smell the coffee. Keep D&D Civil.
I know this isn't entirely on topic, but I would welcome a more active and involved Japan on the world stage. That's not to say I'm eager to see Japan to strike NK. I just think they are a voice of reason that is often drowned out by the squawking of the US and others.
completely off topic, did anyone see "60 Minutes" last night where the american soilder desserted and was stuck in n. korea for 40 years.
Well, there is some deep seeded legacy hatred of Japan by other Asian nations, so it would not surprise me for South Korea to come out against the comments. The last thing most Asian countries want is Japan being active with military threats. Two many centuries of imperialistic Japan in the past for most Asian countries' tastes for them to start threatening military strikes.
There is zero chance Japan will strike N. Korea. It's all rhetoric, posturing and venting. Japan will not do anything militarily unless the U.S. approves of it. The bigger danger, IMO, is that Japan will shed their pacifism over the next several years and try to develop military independence from the U.S. That is something no one in the world wants. This sounds paternalistic, but it's best that we continue controlling Japan's security.
Heck, South Korea basically tells Japan to f*ck off. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060709/wl_asia_afp/nkoreamissileskoreajapan_060709094910 South Korea accuses Japan of raising tension on North Sun Jul 9, 5:59 AM ET South Korea has called for a calm response to North Korea's missile tests, accusing Japan of heightening tensions through its hawkish remarks. "There is no reason to fuss over this from the break of dawn like Japan, but every reason to do the opposite," said a statement from the office of President Roh Moo-Hyun's spokesman. "There is nothing good in heightening tensions on the Korean peninsula and worsening inter-Korean relations. This will not help at all to settle the nuclear issue or the missile issue," it said Sunday. "It is the president's view not to raise a shrill voice but to respond calmly," it said. "The possible launch of a Daepodong missile had been widely publicized in advance. It was aimed at nobody and did not lead to a state of emergency in either our country or other countries." Roh's government has expressed caution at a US and Japanese push to slap further sanctions on North Korea at the United Nations Security Council. South Korea, which has been reconciling with its communist neighbor since 2000, has recently had sour relations with Japan, due largely to the legacy of Tokyo's 1910-1945 colonial rule over the Korean peninsula. Japan's hawkish Foreign Minister Taro Aso earlier Sunday said Tokyo would have the right to attack North Korea to protect its citizens from a nuclear missile launch. North Korea on Wednesday test-fired seven missiles including a new Taepodong model believed to be able to hit Alaska or Hawaii but quickly crashed into the Sea of Japan, known as the East Sea by Koreans. A previous Taepodong in 1998 flew over Japan into the Pacific Ocean, frightening Tokyo into stepping up a project to build a missile defense shield with the United States. South Korea had played down weeks of US and Japanese officials' warnings that North Korea was planning to test the Taepodong-2, while unsuccessfully urging Pyongyang to drop the launch plans. Roh shot back at his conservative domestic critics who accused him of jeopardizing security and failing to respond quickly after the tests. "We believe we should not make people feel unstable by fussing over this. That's why we did not raise a shrill voice and responded slowly," his office said. South Korea has played a balancing act since the missile tests, saying it was sticking by the "sunshine policy" of reconciling with the North launched in 2000 by Roh's predecessor Kim Dae-Jung, who later won the Nobel Peace Prize. Roh's government has suspended a shipment of 100,000 tonnes of fertilizer to the impoverished North and held off on a request to ship 500,000 tonnes of rice which the North has requested. But it said it would go ahead and hold high-level talks with North Korea from Tuesday. Pyongyang has yet to confirm its attendance.
They need to talk to the Bush lawyers, who are very good at scribbling in a "except when necessary" clause to laws. We do not condone torture (except when necessary). Domestic spying is illegal (except when necessary) etc. It would solve Japan's Consistutional question!
i think it has to do with the fact that NK can turn Seoul into rumbles within 3 minutes if japan attacks, and koreans in general just hate the japanese.
I have to think that China has NK on a string and that they have made a strategic decision to allow this situation to continue like this. They certainly have the ability to pressure, or bribe, or bomb, or infiltrate and try to control NK, so why haven’t they? Perhaps, like Iraq, NK is keeping the US occupied and tying up its resources while China roars ahead economically.
PRC sure has some influence over NK but China doesn't meddle with another country's business like US does. China has enough problems internally to deal with and the last thing it wants is a destablized Korean Penininsula.
Roars ahead of who? Here's an interesting fact for ya: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/07/the_bigbang_story_of_us_privat.html Did you know that just over the past 11 quarters, dating back to the June 2003 Bush tax cuts, America has increased the size of its entire economy by 20 percent? In less than three years, the U.S. economic pie has expanded by $2.2 trillion, an output add-on that is roughly the same size as the total Chinese economy, and much larger than the total economic size of nations like India, Mexico, Ireland, and Belgium.
that's good to know, but i still didn't get the big picture from the artical. i haven't received an in-range progession raised in 3 years. our university (i work for the state) is still operating at a budget way below what they were before the iraq war. this isn't retorical cuz it might sound like it but it's just curiousity... but how's this compare to economy when clinton was in office and the taxes were higher for top 2 percent? and how has the increase (since history has shown that the U.S. revenues rarely decreases in a long run) in revenue relates to our spending? employees of private business might not be interested, but like i said.. i work for the state.
Japan's hawks are always eager to get one step closer to that nuke program. Like Taiwan, these acts all depend on whether the US will allow it. More like battered wife syndrome...
