Mainichi Interactive - Top News: "U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told a visiting Japanese politician that war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution was blocking the progress of the Japan-U.S. alliance.
Senior lawmaker Hidenao Nakagawa of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party revealed on Wednesday to Japanese reporters comments Armitage made at the Department of State.
When Nakagawa said that it was time for Japan to discuss the possibility of revising the pacifist Constitution, Armitage responded by saying that it was an issue for the Japanese people to handle.
The deputy secretary of state added in his personal opinion that Article 9, which bans the use of force in settling international disputes, was becoming an obstacle to the progress of the Tokyo-Washington alliance."
It is not enough that American economic policy is pushed upon the world through organs such as the IMF or the World Bank. Now it is defence policy and more worryingly, constitutional changes.
I am in favour of pacificistic permanent member of the UN Security Council. A veto wielding country that is constituionally constrained from deploying force outside of its borders on the UNSC. That would add a hint of deliberation to future proceedings.
Interestingly, the pacifist constitution was forced upon Japanese people by the United States occupying force after WW2. What does this tell us about the future of Iraq?
Thursday, July 22, 2004
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