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© KYODON Korean missile launch calls into question Japan's defense ability
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Hiro S Nobumasa
The best defense for Japan is an independent and sound Pyongyang policy that is anchored on a Nippon First Policy.
Tokyo clinging to the 'Cold War' era strategy of the USA which in reality is now exposed as solely an 'America First Policy ' spells not only gloom but also doom for Tokyo.
Abe should cure himself from his deeply rooted ' Stockholm Syndrome ' psyche and have the guts and foresight to independently go to NK for direct talks with Kim.
There is no need to fight America's war not only in the Korean Peninsula but everywhere from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
Cricky
Abe, Guts, foresight in one sentence, come on.
Mona Lisa Rocketlauncher
I love it when people suggest China should intervene. Why would China swat the fly irritating their rival?
It's also equally hilarious when anyone suggests direct talks with NK. Kim has one solitary goal: Building nuclear weapons capable of reaching the mainland US. That's it. It's not about feeding his people, it's not creating peace in the Korean Peninsula, all he wants is to have the biggest stick and no matter how far fetched we believe that is, that's his goal. He's killed people with anti-aircraft guns for crying out loud.
Take away their food, okay. The people eat less but the weapons plan goes ahead. Offer them aid, okay. People eat the same and the weapons plan still goes ahead. Sanctions are meaningless. Talks are fruitless.
Whatever NK says in direct talks is a stall tactic. They will keep building weapons because they saw how powerful China became once they had weapons and NK believes they can be the next world power.
smithinjapan
Hiro S. Nobumasa: "Abe should cure himself from his deeply rooted ' Stockholm Syndrome ' psyche and have the guts and foresight to independently go to NK for direct talks with Kim. There is no need to fight America's war not only in the Korean Peninsula but everywhere from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe."
Nonsense. North Korea is anything but "America's war". In fact, were it not for the US military presence in Japan and South Korea (as well as other spots in Asia), I guarantee Japan would either be glowing in the dark or else be either Chinese, North Korean, or Russian. It's not the US asking for Japan's help here, Hiro, it's Japan asking, and Japan definitely needing. To do that, you have to work with others. Period.
TumbleDry
With some decorations, the PAC-3s will make wonderful Xmas trees!
Tamarama
Japan do show incredible restraint. It's absolutely outrageous that NK should fire these missiles directly over the country and Japan are well within their rights to down them.
Assuming that they can, that they don't is unbelievable restraint.
Because China definitely don't want is the US involved in a military conflict right on their border, that is for certain, for a whole host of reasons. One of the beliefs with the ramped up US rhetoric is that it is designed to leverage this fear to their advantage and force China to take sterner action in an attempt to prevent that very thing.
I'm not convinced it will actually amount to much anyway. Kim is travelling to the beat of his own drum here, and is highly provocative. Can China really reel him in?
Goodlucktoyou
do you mean the plodding ships that crash into massive container ships, extremely expensive and have never shot down a NK missile? as much as i hate KimJongUn, he is smarter than USA technology. he fires 4 missiles, and Aegis can, unproven in real combat, stop 3. so if 100 missiles are sent, what will happen?
you can't blame china, they have their own agenda, one sixth of human beings.
OssanAmerica
Forcing China to muzzle NK is the only peaceful and constructive way to resolve this issue. Trump campaigned last year babbling about a 45% tariff on all Chinese imports. If implemented it would derail China's economy. Sure China would argue it would retaliate and start a trade war. But a Trade War is far better than a real war on the Korean peninsula. Furthermore, China, which accounts for 90% of NK's trade and provides 90% of NK's energy needs and could shut down NK in a week if they really wanted to. Perhaps the threat of such a trade war will be sufficient to get them to pull the leash on the Kim regime. Everybody wins. Nobody dies.
Haaa Nemui
When NK have proven how unreliable they are in following the guidelines of any deal? You've got to be kidding.
Haaa Nemui
Not having had a nuclear test since 1998 is one. I'm not going to waste my time talking to someone who gets a little upset at some opposition.
Citizen2012
Of course, missile was in space
yakyak
Japan has no defense ability.