Cabinet OKs sending SDF warship, aircraft to Middle East to protect vessels

The Abe cabinet approved violating the constitution?! What a shocker.

Well done!. The Japanese Navy will get valuable experience.

Well done!. The Japanese Navy will get valuable experience.

Nothing it couldn’t get patrolling closer to Japan, which would mean not violating the constitution.

Good move, protect your interests and let others know that you will.

Meeting with iranian leader the other day so you can bet this would have been discussed.

Chip Star: "Nothing it couldn’t get patrolling closer to Japan, which would mean not violating the constitution."

Exactly! But since when did Abe NOT violate the Constitution and then claim the people gave him permission?

MSR Japan, no betting, it was widely reported that they did discuss this.

And from the article: "Abe last week briefed visiting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tokyo's plan to send naval forces to the Gulf." (Rouhani was said to have expressed understanding and satisfaction.)

Good for Japan. Japanese Navy will secure the safety of Japanese trade, whilst maintaining friendly relations with Iran. That's smart government.

Good move. Having the US guard Japan shipping means possible attacks on Japanese ships get blamed on Iran, even if evidence points to Mossad or a false flag.

This is not the first time that the Japanese Navy has sailed to some far flung place to perform similar duties. In the First World War a number of Japanese naval vessels were sent to the Mediterranean to act as escorts to troop ships. One was torpedoed by an Austro-Hungarian submarine and some 40 or so crew were killed. The damaged ship reach Gibraltar, repaired and went back into service. The Japanese sailors who died were laid to rest in a cemetery in Malta.

The Abe cabinet approved violating the constitution?! What a shocker.

The constitution allows self defense. Nothing broken here. Japan getting some value from its defense dollars.

Japan will send a warship and patrol planes to protect Japanese ships

That is fair enough and within the constitution.

Where do these Japanese boats and planes do provisioning once out there?

re article: Japan will send a warship and patrol planes to protect Japanese ships in the Middle East as the situation in the region, from which it sources nearly 90% of its crude oil imports, remains volatile, Japan's top government spokesman said

Well if Japan can violate its own constitution why bother with one at all. End the SOFA, release the US troops who are more than happy to go home as soon as possible in frankly sooner works much better. Japan has no need for US alliance or US troops. It has clearly proven it can change a Constitution at its own government whim without the peoples input. interesting.

"Nothing it couldn’t get patrolling closer to Japan, which would mean not violating the constitution."

LOL, Where near Japan is a strait that measure at its narrowest 21 nautical miles and is jam packed with tankers?

Wise move. Past time to show China and Russia that Japan will protect itself.

LOL, Where near Japan is a strait that measure at its narrowest 21 nautical miles and is jam packed with tankers?

Straight if Malacca. LOL. Didn’t bother doing any research, did you?

Japanese constitution is outdated but so are so many things here in Japan. Its time that Japan upgrades from defense capabilities to attack. Its time to wake up and realize whats really going on around Asia.

I see nothing wrong, but experience for our Self-Defence forces. Kudos for PM Abe.

The very existence of the SDF flagrantly violates the constitution itself.

Article 9. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, 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.

In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.

There is neither a right of defence nor does it say that there should be land, sea or air forces. Nor does it say that there should be a military capacity for armed defence or response. Japan's military capacity must be 0. It does not exist under constitutional law.

And all the people who say that the current constitution allows for defensive actions. And that there's no need to change it. I'm very sorry to say that, but they're wrong.

Nor is it Abe's fault or any PM's in the past. That he is forced to ignore the constitution to allow illegal actions for the very survival of Japan itself.

The current constitution is completely obsolete. And it must be amended to suit current circumstances. Unfortunately there are political parties. Almost all of them in the opposition camp do not understand this reality. They cling to a fantasy utopia that is only in their own minds. And they are completely unrealistic. Matches like Rikken-minshutō, Kokumin-minshutō or the Mataichi Seiji. They should have a sense of state in terms of national politics. Reach a broad consensus with the LDP, Komeito and Nippon Ishin no Kai To make the necessary constitutional amendments without altering the peaceful and democratic spirit of Japan. And to fix that constitutional disparity that constantly forces the government to disobey the daily enforcement of the constitution. Breaking the current constitutional thread.

If the left-wing parties constantly veto a referendum in parliament. The people will never be able to decide whether or not they want to change the constitution. Nor do they allow citizen participation to decide which articles should be changed.

This is a reflection for people to understand that this debate will have to come in the not so distant future. And that all the political and social actors will have to address it at a negotiating table.

This mission is a typical Abe administration action, trying to make Trump feel good without angering Iran too much, “Please wash my body but do not make me wet!”

I wonder what all the tough talking people say if the first 10 Self defense people return home in plastic bags.

All countries patrolling there keeps the area safe. Strength in numbers.

Bad idea to say the least.

This article is from Dec 27, I wonder, in light of the recent events, whether they will backtrack upon that decision ?