politics

Japan's naval dispatch to Mideast seen as result of compromise

30 Comments
By Keita Nakamura

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Obviously, Abe never compromises with Japanese people.

-10 ( +4 / -14 )

Nice picture, once again disproving the notion that 'all' Japanese are apathetic, apolitical beings afraid to speak out and stand against the grain. And the crowd size is absolutely irrelevant.

-7 ( +7 / -14 )

Smart move by the government. The MSDF is there to defend and protect Japanese trade, while continuing excellent relations with the firiendly nation of Iran. They are not there to wage an offensive campaign against Iran, as the US-led coalition is.

Blaming Iran for attacks on oil tankers in May and June in the Gulf region, the United States has sought Japan and other countries to join the coalition

Iran definitely did NOT attack Japanese oil tankers. Zero proof. The US is wrong again here. Their intelligence gathering is not great it appears.

5 ( +14 / -9 )

As long as it protects Japanese interests, I see nothing wrong in such deployment of force. Pacifists are kind of naive.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

Pacifists are kind of naive.

The Japanese mission is purely Pacifist.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Nice picture, once again disproving the notion that 'all' Japanese are apathetic, apolitical beings afraid to speak out and stand against the grain. And the crowd size is absolutely irrelevant.

Got to look for it but i would swear that the guy in the suit on the right and the guy with the hat and glasses were in a picture protesting the bases down here in Okinawa!

Maybe they are the leaders of the professional protesters for hire group?

8 ( +13 / -5 )

It is OK they do protest. It is a proof that Japan is a democratic country. However, I want they also show alternative plans Japan to survive. Otherwise, Japan will be criticized we are on a free lunch and riding free leaving the dangerous jobs to others.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Hope they are not headed to Pearl Harbor ,only a child would engage in a foolish adventure, like this

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

Oldman,

You are right.

Those 10 protestors certainly aren’t apathetic.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Nice picture, once again disproving the notion that 'all' Japanese are apathetic, apolitical beings afraid to speak out and stand against the grain. And the crowd size is absolutely irrelevant.

Protests are designed to draw attention to the issue the protestors are protesting against, right? I’d say crowd size is probably the most relevant thing about a protest.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Japan's naval dispatch to Mideast seen as result of compromise

This title really states the obvious.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Is this a case of that classic oxymoron, 'peace through war'? I don't get the willful ignorance. japan has no choice in the matter. When the master beckons, must follow, no questions asked.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

All very old people having a nice day out getting together in their groups. Young people are too concerned with the latest games and smartphones.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

This is just a tactic to ease the Japanese public into accepting remilitarization and getting rid of Article 9. This is Abe's goal.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

These people are idiots. How would they feel if their sons were working aboard commercial ships that carried vitally needed energy to Japan? Would they not want them protected? In Japan both the right wing and left wing are off the charts extreme. These protesters are the either the heiwaboke generation and/or sunscribers to Akahata.

Wallace FredToday  02:00 pm JST

japan has no choice in the matter. When the master beckons, must follow, no questions asked.

Wrong, Japan did have a choice and they made it, If they had no choice, they would have joined the coalition.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Japanese tankers have been attacked at least twice near the Strait of Hormuz in the last five years. Mysterious explosions near the waterline and not clear who carried out the attacks it is true, but to say that there is no danger there is false.

”Invalid” rubbish three times

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Article 9 of the Japanese constitution stipulates that "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes". 

So how could Japan participate in the U.S.-led coalition? Even dispatching war ships to the region seems in violation of this provision.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Japan's decision to send its navy to the Middle East

Why this stupid dramatization? Not "navy", but 1 (one) destroyer. Navy denotes all warships a country has.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

voiceofokinawaToday  04:07 pm JST

Article 9 of the Japanese constitution stipulates that "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes". 

So how could Japan participate in the U.S.-led coalition? Even dispatching war ships to the region seems in violation of this provision.

Well Japan isn't participating in any coalition. But deploying the JMSDF to protect Japanese flagged and controlled commercial vessels carrying vitally needed crude from the PG to JPN is certainly an appropriate use of the SDF to protect Japanese lives and property. The deployment is not for the pupose of waging war on anybody, and not to settle any disputes. Japanese ships have been attacked and this is a proper measured response. which does not violate the first paragraph of Article 9.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

The PM would have been well advised not to chancel but visit India as scheduled.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Compromise? More like making an alternative offer the people, especially the US. And not only does it send a message that Japan is not blindly obedient to the world of the US, but through its own will, it can help resolve other problems, that also need addressing as well.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

It is common knowledge many “Protesters” are paid, I’ve actually had someone

say to me they were considering taking a job he saw on Craigs’ List doing just this.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

OssanAmerica,

On the thread of "Japan may send ships topatrol off Yemen instead of Strait of Hormuz" run on Aug. 9 JT, I commented as follows.

At the time when P.M. Abe was visiting Iran for talks with President of Iran Hassan Rouhani, Japanese-flagged oil tankers passing through the Hormuz Strait were attacked by unknown attackers. The U.S. government announced immediately afterwards that it was an hostile act by IRGC, a branch of Iranian Armed Forces, later showing, at Tokyo's request, a blurred picture of masked men in black costumes trying to attach limpet mines on the hull of one of the vessels.

This incident must be clarified once and for all. Did Iran really attack Japanese-flagged oil tankers? For what purposes, when Abe was visiting Iran for talks with Rouhani?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

The blurred picture showed masked men in black costumes trying to attach limpet mines on the hull of one of the vessels. The catch is how the U.S. intelligence was able to identify from this cut-out shot that it was the hull of one of the vessels?

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

@voiceofokinawa

At no time has Japan accused Iran, or any other nation, or specific organization of having been behind the previous attacks. Nor have they agreed with the US/UK view. Clarifying who was behind the attacks is not relevant to the JMSDF deployment.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

OssanAmerica,

Until you have hard, solid evidence as to who committed the crime, you can't point your finger at someone as the perpetrator of the murder, let alone execute him by hanging. Suspicion alone is no grounds for forming coalition forces and punishment.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

So it's wise of Japan not to join in the U.S.-led coalition. But, above all, Japan must not participate in it due to Article 9 of the constitution.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Until you have hard, solid evidence as to who committed the crime, you can't point your finger at someone as the perpetrator of the murder, let alone execute him by hanging. 

Pot kettle black!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Yubaru,

Pot kettle black

The pot can't laugh at the kettle by calling it black because the pot is also covered with black soot. I can’t make out why you say so.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

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