Attack on Enemy Bases	No.639 June 30, 2009
		The ruling bloc, anticipating general elections, urges quick legislation and makes suggestions to enable the government to send soldiers abroad who could use weapons in the mission. Lately the government has forcibly enacted a new anti-piracy law, and subsequently prepares for a special law to inspect ships of the ownership of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) discusses noisily these days an initiative to attack enemy bases, a commitment in the collective defense right and deregulation of arms’ trade embargo. The ruling party inspires social opinions to lead them to annulment of Article Nine of Constitution. DON’T DESTROY ARTICLE NINE! DON’T LET GOVERNMENT MAKE POLICY TO ANNUL IT! The government parties of LDP and New Komeito approved again in the parliamentary procedure June 19 in the Lower House the controversial anti-piracy act, which had been passed by the same House before but turned down by the Upper House. Thus, the vessels, aircraft and personnel currently deployed in the military mission off the coast of Somalia, two destroyers and two P3C patrol aircraft as well as special commandos of the Ground Self Defense Forces (GSDF), will be placed under the new law, shifted from the jurisdiction of Article 82 of the Self Defense Act. The new law, besides the legal alteration, has dangerous aspects: it allows the government to send Self Defense Forces to anywhere on the globe at any time in the name of anti-piracy duties. The military will be authorized to use weapons in the mission to defend foreign vessels. In other words, the government and the LDP, which have voiced eagerly for the past years to enact a law with permanent validity to apply to a mission abroad, have finally gained one, though it is of a partial character. Inspection of DPRK-owned Ships After the second nuclear test performed by DPRK, the United Nations Security Council adopted on June 12 a resolution to impose harsher economic sanctions on the country, which includes: (1) embargo of all weapons, except for small arms (2) a total inspection of cargo by member countries in the territories in terms of nuclear-and-missile related articles (3) inspections of a vessel on the high seas in compliance with a consent of the country of ship’s owner (4) piloting of the boat to an appropriate port if the country does not agree and (5) suspension of financial service if a nuclear program is involved The government is scheduled to submit to the Diet a bill for a special act for cargo inspection. The LDP initially wanted the Maritime Self Defense Forces to make interdiction, but it decided to limit the authority to the Maritime Safety Agency, considering the positions of New Komeito and the opposition, Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). The LDP specified, reportedly, that an agreement should be reached by both parties, namely, the country of ship’s owner and captain. It is very likely under these circumstances that DPRK oppose the high- sea-inspection and claim to change the navigation route. An armed crash may happen, if such inspection targets in particular DPRK boats or crew on board. It is doubtful, however, whether the UN sanction policy can work effectively to cope with the DPRK’s intention to attain capability to negotiate with the United States, the biggest nuclear nation. Meanwhile, the Aso government emphasizes power to subjugate the country, which is far from a solution on the peaceful basis. Crazy Discussion – Attack on Enemy Bases In addition, the LDP’s Defense Policy Study Sub-committee advised on June 9 to topple Article Nine in a violent way: it fiercely insisted to possess cruise and ballistic missiles to strike ‘bases of enemies’ which might certainly hit Japan, to admit the right of collective defense so that Japan could intercept missiles heading to the United States, to increase the defense budget and to deregulate the Three Principles for Arms Embargo so that Japan may engage in weapons’ R&D with a third country except the US to boost military industries. These are the LDP’s agenda to put into the next basic defense guidelines to be released in the year-end. The Yomiuri Shinbun Newspaper, which represents rightists’ opinions, has responded to put a commentary advocating dissolution of the prohibition clauses of arms trade, while a Pentagon high ranking officer told that the US would support a decision of Japanese government to acquire capabilities to strike enemy bases. If the government adopts in its policy these initiatives which openly defy Article Nine, Japan may be facilitated to wage an aggression war to others, which will certainly produce tensions in the Asian region and bolster arms race. Look at the Democratic Party. Mr. Maehara Seiji is a determined advocate of an enemy base attack policy. We must be vigilant against adventurous developments in the political scenes in the midst of fusses before the general elections and after the event, too.