Japan defence review warns of enhanced North Korea threats

[webfact]

Japan defence review warns of enhanced North Korea threats

By Kiyoshi Takenaka

 

FILE PHOTO:Members of Japan's Self-Defence Forces' infantry unit march during the annual SDF ceremony at Asaka Base, Japan, October 23, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo

 

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan warned on Tuesday against the acute threat posed by North Korea's weapons programmes as Pyongyang's continued series of missile and nuclear tests, in defiance of U.N. sanctions, brings technological progress to the reclusive state.

 

Japan released its annual Defence White Paper after North Korea fired two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) last month on lofted trajectories to land off Japan's west coast.

 

"It is conceivable that North Korea's nuclear weapons programme has already considerably advanced and it is possible that North Korea has already achieved the miniaturisation of nuclear weapons and has acquired nuclear warheads," the Defence Ministry said.

 

"Since last year, when it forcibly implemented two nuclear tests and more than 20 ballistic missile launches, the security threats have entered a new stage," it added in the 563-page document.

 

North Korea's latest ICBM test showed Pyongyang may now be able to reach most of the continental United States, two U.S. officials have told Reuters.

 

The growing threat has prompted Japanese municipalities to hold evacuation drills in case of a possible missile attack, and boosted demand for nuclear shelters.

 

Missiles launched on a lofted trajectory were difficult to intercept, the defence ministry said.

 

With North Korea pressing ahead with missile tests, a group of ruling party lawmakers led by Itsunori Onodera, who became defence minister on Thursday, urged Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in March to consider acquiring the capability to hit enemy bases.

 

If realised, that would be a drastic change in Japan's defence posture. Tokyo has so far avoided taking the controversial and costly step of acquiring bombers or cruise missiles with the range to strike other countries.

 

"North Korea's missiles represent a deepening threat. That, along with China's continued threatening behaviour in the East China Sea and South China Sea, is a major concern for Japan," Onodera told a news briefing in Tokyo.

 

The ministry said the number of Japan's jet scrambles against Chinese aircraft hit a record in the year to March 2017. The first confirmed advancement of China's aircraft carrier to the Pacific also came in December 2016.

 

"There is a possibility that their naval activities, as well as air force activities, will pick up pace in the Sea of Japan from now on," the ministry said.

 

"We need to keep a close eye on the Chinese naval force's activity," it added.

 

Tokyo's ties with Beijing have long been plagued by a territorial dispute over a group of tiny, uninhabited East China Sea islets and the legacy of Japan's wartime aggression.

 

(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; additional reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Paul Tait and Clarence Fernandez)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-08

[craigt3365]

Here's what happens when a nation like NK goes after nuclear weapons:

 

Quote

With North Korea pressing ahead with missile tests, a group of ruling party lawmakers led by Itsunori Onodera, who became defence minister on Thursday, urged Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in March to consider acquiring the capability to hit enemy bases.

 

A build up of more weapons by surrounding nations that feel threatened.

[baboon]

What goes around comes around. One thing Koreans on both halves of the peninsula will agree on is that they hate the Japanese for their brutal colonisation of the country. 

[craigt3365]

6 minutes ago, baboon said:

What goes around comes around. One thing Koreans on both halves of the peninsula will agree on is that they hate the Japanese for their brutal colonisation of the country. 

Many countries hate many others for their brutal colonization.  That was years ago.  Time to move on.  It's up to the leaders of these countries to help their citizens move on.  Not propagate hate because of things that happened many years ago.

[BuaBS]

6 hours ago, baboon said:

What goes around comes around. One thing Koreans on both halves of the peninsula will agree on is that they hate the Japanese for their brutal colonisation of the country. 

The Chinese too , haven't forgotten .

[tonbridgebrit]

Japan, do shut up. You killed millions during World War Two, and nobody has forgotten your history. And whilst you're at it, go and ban that flag you've got in the picture above.

Yes, the flag, a big red dot, with the thick red lines coming out of it. I regard that flag to be as bad as Germany's Nazi swasticka. It's outrageous that you're still allowed to have this flag. You lost World War Two, that's why you should be banned from using that flag.

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, baboon said:

What goes around comes around. One thing Koreans on both halves of the peninsula will agree on is that they hate the Japanese for their brutal colonisation of the country. 

According to a BBC World Service Poll conducted in 2014, 79% of South Koreans view Japan's influence negatively, and 15% express a positive view, making South Korea, behind mainland China, the second country with the most negative feelings of Japan in the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Japanese_sentiment_in_Korea

 

[Grouse]

6 hours ago, baboon said:

What goes around comes around. One thing Koreans on both halves of the peninsula will agree on is that they hate the Japanese for their brutal colonisation of the country. 

So why give them an excuse to go nuclear???

[Grouse]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

According to a BBC World Service Poll conducted in 2014, 79% of South Koreans view Japan's influence negatively, and 15% express a positive view, making South Korea, behind mainland China, the second country with the most negative feelings of Japan in the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Japanese_sentiment_in_Korea

 

I love Japan; but then I also love Germany! 

[craigt3365]

9 hours ago, Grouse said:

I love Japan; but then I also love Germany! 

Many countries have dodgy pasts.  I think both Japan and Germany have moved beyond their dodgy history.  I too like Germany and Japan a lot.  Visited both countries several times.  Great places for travel, though Japan is a bit expensive!

 

If you want to go by which country has killed the most people, China is at the top.  45-75 million killed by Mao.  Russia is next with 40-60 million killed by Stalin. Germany with 17-20 by Hitler.  China up again with 10 by Kai-Shek. Then Japan, USSR, Japan, Pakistan, Iraq, Cambodia, Vietnam, North Korea, etc.

 

Seems China takes the top award.

 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/saddam-hussein-hitler-stalin-mao-and-more-13-deadliest-dictators-photos

 

[baboon]

10 hours ago, Grouse said:

So why give them an excuse to go nuclear???

Don't quite get what you are asking, but then I am waiting on a caffeine fix. Could you rephrase the question?

[Grouse]

1 hour ago, baboon said:

Don't quite get what you are asking, but then I am waiting on a caffeine fix. Could you rephrase the question?

NK offer Japan the perfect excuse to have nuclear weapons (they probably have the capability anyway)

[baboon]

48 minutes ago, Grouse said:

NK offer Japan the perfect excuse to have nuclear weapons (they probably have the capability anyway)

No way would America allow yet another state to possess nuclear weapons. This arms race has to be stopped at all costs, remember...

[Rancid]

14 hours ago, tonbridgebrit said:

Japan, do shut up. You killed millions during World War Two, and nobody has forgotten your history. And whilst you're at it, go and ban that flag you've got in the picture above.

Yes, the flag, a big red dot, with the thick red lines coming out of it. I regard that flag to be as bad as Germany's Nazi swasticka. It's outrageous that you're still allowed to have this flag. You lost World War Two, that's why you should be banned from using that flag.

Obviously I am wrong but I thought Japan changed their war era flag after WW2, yet here it is. Also of note is that didn't Japan recently change their constitution on limiting their armed forces?

 

And of course as has been pointed out, both Koreas hate the Japanese for their brutal occupation. Do we really need a new militarized Japan? No doubt the Chinese would also be delighted, or is that why the US must have obviously given them the nod to re-militarize, even in Oz there was very little media reaction, odd.

[craigt3365]

4 hours ago, baboon said:

No way would America allow yet another state to possess nuclear weapons. This arms race has to be stopped at all costs, remember...

This is about nuclear weapons. Not an arms race. Luckily. The entire UNSC agrees another rogue nation shouldn't have there  WMDs.

[Morch]

20 hours ago, tonbridgebrit said:

Japan, do shut up. You killed millions during World War Two, and nobody has forgotten your history. And whilst you're at it, go and ban that flag you've got in the picture above.

Yes, the flag, a big red dot, with the thick red lines coming out of it. I regard that flag to be as bad as Germany's Nazi swasticka. It's outrageous that you're still allowed to have this flag. You lost World War Two, that's why you should be banned from using that flag.

 

5 hours ago, Rancid said:

Obviously I am wrong but I thought Japan changed their war era flag after WW2, yet here it is. Also of note is that didn't Japan recently change their constitution on limiting their armed forces?

 

And of course as has been pointed out, both Koreas hate the Japanese for their brutal occupation. Do we really need a new militarized Japan? No doubt the Chinese would also be delighted, or is that why the US must have obviously given them the nod to re-militarize, even in Oz there was very little media reaction, odd.

 

The flag in the picture is not the Japanese national flag, but the one used by the JSDF.

[Morch]

5 hours ago, baboon said:

No way would America allow yet another state to possess nuclear weapons. This arms race has to be stopped at all costs, remember...

 

In terms of know-how, resources and industrial base, Japan could have military nuclear capability if it chose to. Same as many other industrialized countries, including SK. If they opted for deception and subterfuge, they could probably get away with it. In this regard, the NPT is a success story. Most nations that can, refrain.

[craigt3365]

19 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

In terms of know-how, resources and industrial base, Japan could have military nuclear capability if it chose to. Same as many other industrialized countries, including SK. If they opted for deception and subterfuge, they could probably get away with it. In this regard, the NPT is a success story. Most nations that can, refrain.

Seems some aren't in agreement with this logic! LOL

 

Excellent post.