[Text Fwd] On the Question of Japan’s involvement in Afghanistan

* Below is the E mail reply from Makiko Sato on Dec., 14, 2009, on ‘No Base Stories of Korea’s question of Japan’s involvement in Afghanistan. Thanks very much, Makiko, I really appreciate your research and information.


'I've looked for the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
I don't think many Japanese citizens regard the counter-piracy activities
of Japanese SDFs already on duty as some side-assistance of the Afghan War
to begin in Jan, even if some foreign media reports so.

・as for the counter-piracy activity by Japan

150 troops from the MSDF and GSDF is on duty now
for patrol against piracy with two '*escort destoyers' and two P3C s of MSDF.
The number of troops has been decreased from 400 under the former ruling party
to the present 150 under the ruling coalition.

*Sazanami, Samidare : DD, without cruise missiles for land attacks.
(Destroyers of Japan are not equipped with cruise missiles, wiki says.
This is because cruise missiles are unconstitutional.)

・as for the Japan's policy of finatial assistance of the Afghan war.

immediate assistance: ￥80 billion (* ￥is presently very strong)
already promised: ＄　2 billion
in 5 years from 2009: ＄　5 billion
http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/terrorism/strategy0911.pdf
。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

But of course under the former ruling party, some unconstitutional
ASDF activities were done with the request of the US forces, as to the Iraq War.
However these activities—delivering the US troops and weapons to Iraq —
were ruled unconstitutional by Nagoya high court, although
the overall dispatch itself of ASDF to the Indian Ocean for oil supply
was not ruled so.

This was the important victory for the several hundreds of citizens who
filed lawsuits in several areas in Japan, questioning the unconstitutionality
of the SDFs' activity under the US command.

Now the present ruling coalition, with a tiny presense of tenatious peaceful party,
the Social Democratic Party, will not dare, because of the lawsuit ruling,
to tread on the controversial ground of unconstitutional assistance of any war
so easily as Koizumi did.
。。。。。。。。。。。。。

But of course under the former ruling party, some unconstitutional
ASDF activities were done with the request of the US forces, as to the Iraq War.
However these activities—delivering the US troops and weapons to Iraq —
were ruled unconstitutional by Nagoya high court, although
the overall dispatch itself of ASDF to the Indian Ocean for oil supply
was not ruled so.

This was the important victory for the several hundreds of citizens who
filed lawsuits in several areas in Japan, questioning the unconstitutionality
of the SDFs' activity under the US command.

Now the present ruling coalition, with a tiny presense of tenatious peaceful party,
the Social Democratic Party, will not dare, because of the lawsuit ruling,
to tread on the controversial ground of unconstitutional assistance of any war
so easily as Koizumi did.
。。。。。。。。。。。。。

As for the SDFs, yes, anybody abroad may think they are actual forces capable of war.
But of course Article 9 still works and prohibits some edges as attack weapons.
And referring to SDFs as usual forces may lead to complying to the US wishes to
convert Japan's SDFs into real forces which can go easily to war along with the USA,
like those of South Korea. So and so, I try not to call Japan's SDFs Navy, Army,,,,,
Many citizens who don't want to see Article 9 collapsed by the US never
refer to our SDFs as Air Force, Marine,,, etc.

Anyway, citizens have to be watchful of this matter so as not to be betrayed again.
Makiko'