Japanese Ponder Pre-Emptive Strike!

[eddie]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13775754/

TOKYO - Japan said Monday it was considering whether a pre-emptive strike on North Korea’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...

Ok folks; I think we can all agree that an actual strike by Japan is fairly improbable (well, frankly, impossible). However, considering how "things" are developing that side of the pond, is there a chance that Article IX be done away with entirely?

What say you AirWarriors?

 

[JIMC5499]

I can see Japan's point. Any country should have the right of self-defence, but at what point does offense end and defence begin? North Korea has provoked Japan for decades, even going as far as kidnapping Japanese citizens to train their spies. At what point do you say enough is enough? At this time there is no reliable anti-missile defence system, so the only reliable one is to go after the launchers. Now with that said, does Japan have the capability of going after those launchers?

 

[usmcecho4]

I can see Japan's point. Any country should have the right of self-defence, but at what point does offense end and defence begin? North Korea has provoked Japan for decades, even going as far as kidnapping Japanese citizens to train their spies. At what point do you say enough is enough? At this time there is no reliable anti-missile defence system, so the only reliable one is to go after the launchers. Now with that said, does Japan have the capability of going after those launchers?

Given our actions in Iraq, Japan could reason that defense begins with suspicion of weapons of mass destruction related programs (or something along those lines). NK knows the US is weak and is pushing for whatever it can get. While it may seem good to see Japan rattling the sword a little. Given the history between Japan and Korea it may only make things worse.

Semper Fi,
usmcecho4

 

[LoneSailor]

.. Now with that said, does Japan have the capability of going after those launchers?

Japan has a secret weapon under its sleeves:

 

[FMRAM]

How do the Japanese make up for thier small stature? With technology of course!

 

[TurnandBurn55]

Any country should have the right of self-defence, but at what point does offense end and defence begin?

Well, in IR theory this concept is known as the "security dilemma"... you really can't have a purely defensive posture, it always has an offensive analog to your neighbor.

In any case, I think it's high time we have a sit down with the Chinese and un-f#ck this Cold War anachronism.

 

[EODDave]

Doesn't Japan have a history of preemptive strikes?

 

[Lonestar]

That preemptive strike prompted their now constitutional law against such actions.

 

[Brett327]

Last night, CNN Presents did their "undercover camera in N. Korea" show. I don't know if this had been shown before, but some of the footage was pretty scary/depressing. It saddens me that so many potentially productive people (just look at the South), are being held hostage to a dead ideology and an impotent dictator.

Brett

 

[EODDave]

Depressing show. My wife saw it a couple months ago and talks about it all the time.

 

[FMRAM]

Doesn't Japan have a history of preemptive strikes?

YES...and unfortunatly for us they were darn good at it too.

 

[Fly Navy]

YES...and unfortunatly for us they were darn good at it too.

Actually, if you analyze Pearl Harbor and do your research, they really fvcked it up. Missed the carriers, missed the subpens, missed the oil fields, etc etc. Pearl Harbor was a surprised... a lot of people died... it crippled the US Navy for a short while... it didn't take us out of the war. Pearl Harbor was a strategic failure.

 

[MasterBates]

Are they still considering a strike? Lebanon/Gaza has been stealing the attention for a while now...

 

[Lonestar155]

What if things escalated to a war? Would the U.S get involved since we have military forces out in Japan? Also how would the forces we have in Iraq effect a war if one were to break out?? Im sure no one knows the answer, but opinions dont hurt. Thanks

 

[HH-60H]

What if things escalated to a war? Would the U.S get involved since we have military forces out in Japan? Also how would the forces we have in Iraq effect a war if one were to break out?? Im sure no one knows the answer, but opinions dont hurt. Thanks

What things escalating? North Korea? Ummm, yeah we would probably get involved (if NK attacked ROK) since we have an infantry division in ROK.