Saber Rattling?
By Denise Best | Related entries in In The News, The WorldJapan’s considering the possibility of making a pre-emptive strike against North Korea.
Japan was badly rattled by North Korea’s missile tests last week and several government officials openly discussed whether the country ought to take steps to better defend itself, including setting up the legal framework to allow Tokyo to launch a pre-emptive strike against Northern missile sites.
“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,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said.
Over-reaction or justifiable response?
No doubt necessary posturing by Japan to influence the upcoming U.N. vote on imposing sanctions on North Korea, but interesting to see the next move and who makes it!
This entry was posted on Monday, July 10th, 2006 and is filed under In The News, The World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
July 10th, 2006 at 11:13 am
So what happens first?
Japan bombs North Korea’s missle sites…
Isreal bombs Iran’s nuclear facilities…
North Korea’s next long range test malfunctions (again) and lands on Iran’s nuclear facility?
July 10th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
“North Korea’s next long range test malfunctions (again) and lands on Iran’s nuclear facility?”
That would be convenient.
July 10th, 2006 at 10:02 pm
Gotta get America scared before the election…
July 11th, 2006 at 1:12 pm
You actually think that Japan floated this idea in order to scare Americans before our next election?
July 11th, 2006 at 2:31 pm
Seems like the Japanese have a perfectly legitimate reason to be concerned, considering it’s their cities (and Seoul) that will be held hostage.
That said, this could also be a ploy to get China to be more proactive w/North Korea. China probably doesn’t have much of a problem with North Korea blackmailing the west. However, prospect of a more heavily armed and agressive Japanese defense force resulting from this blackmail might convince them to apply more pressure on NK.
July 11th, 2006 at 3:15 pm
It’d be more convenient for the next errant North Korean ICBM to land on Beijing.
July 11th, 2006 at 3:40 pm
It seems like it would be best if Japan and China could deal with North Korea so that we don’t have to be the only world policeman on the beat.
July 11th, 2006 at 4:24 pm
That should probably be katana-rattling.