Posted by
Dave Jacobson on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 2:43:35 AM
TOKYO (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.
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.
link to storythis could be an effort to get china to get more involved in the situation. they certainly don't want to deal with a militarized japan in the future. japan may also be vary serious. it seems that it would take an amendment to their constitution in order to start such a build-up.
if they are serious, there may be a silver lining in all of it. maybe this could be the rebirth of a more nationalistic, but not
imperialistic japan. it seems that the people of japan need something
to believe in. in any report of demographics,
japan is in one of the worst positions. they have a very large aging population that is not being replaced.
the youth is more occupied with PSPs and anime then concerning themselves with reproduction. that isn't a bad thing in itself, but it will be at the expense of the nation's future.