U.S. official suggests Japan change view on collective self-defense
A U.S. defense official expressed dissatisfaction during a recent visit to Japan over Tokyo’s interpretation that it cannot exercise collective self-defense under the country’s pacifist Constitution, a Japanese lawmaker said Wednesday.
Richard Lawless, the U.S. deputy defense undersecretary for Asia and Pacific affairs, was quoted as saying it would be ”crazy” of Japan not to shoot down a missile clearly heading toward the United States even when capable of doing so, apparently suggesting a change in interpretation.
Former Defense Agency Director General Shigeru Ishiba, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party National Defense Division’s subcommittee on defense policies, said Lawless also told him that such a situation does not exemplify the U.S.-Japan alliance.
Ishiba introduced Lawless’ remarks relating to Japan’s missile defense scheme at the subcommittee’s meeting in the morning. The deputy undersecretary was in Japan until Wednesday to attend talks with Japanese counterparts.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer has also voiced hope for debate on Japan’s role in a joint missile defense system with the United States, such as the legality of Tokyo’s intercepting missiles including those flying near its territory toward the United States.
In December 2003, when the Cabinet decided to go ahead with introducing a missile defense system, then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said in a statement the deployment ”is aimed solely at defending our country.”
”It will be operated at our independent-minded discretion and will not be used for the defense of a third country, so poses no problems in terms of collective self-defense,” the statement says.
But in mid-November, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suggested reviewing Fukuda’s statement, calling for studying whether Japan can intercept U.S.-targeted missiles under its Constitution. Tokyo’s official interpretation of the Japanese Constitution bans Japan from coming to the aid of an ally militarily.
Defense Agency Director General Fumio Kyuma has pointed out that Japan as yet has no capability to intercept missiles.