AP: Rice Vows 'Full Range' Defense of Japan

[Eugene]

Rice Vows 'Full Range' Defense of Japan

By ANNE GEARAN AP Diplomatic Writer

TOKYO Oct 18, 2006 (AP)— Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday
the United States is ready to use the "full range" of its military might to defend
Japan in light of North Korea's nuclear weapons test, and her Japanese counterpart
drew a firm line against developing a Japanese bomb.

The United States is concerned that Japan, South Korea or perhaps Taiwan may
want to develop their own nuclear weapons programs to counter the threat from
North Korea. Such moves would anger China, which already has nuclear weapons,
and raise tensions in the region.

Part of Rice's assignment on this week's hastily arranged trip to China, Russia,
Japan and South Korea is to lessen the temptation to develop separate national
nuclear programs by reaffirming the U.S. intention to defend the nations most
at risk.

In Japan, Rice said she reaffirmed President Bush's pledge, made the day of the
North's test last week, "that the United States has the will and the capability
to meet the full range and I underscore the full range of its deterrent and
security commitments to Japan," Rice said following discussions with Japanese
Foreign Minister Taro Aso.

-snip-

Full article: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2580748

[Kiouni]

1. i know that

japan is trying to repeal the article denying japan the ability to make war, but how likely is this? will they actually change this and become a military power?

[krispos42]

2. Make sense to me. Their neighbors are getting stronger

And Japan has enough economic and technological clout to keep us from interfering.

What I'm concerned about is the possibility of us nuking North Korea if they nuke Japan. We would be nuking a nation that did not attack us with nukes or anything else for that matter.

So much for a no-first-use policy. :nuke:

Does it seem to anybody else besides me that BushCo is desperate to let the nuclear genie out of the bottle where it's been for 61 years? This sure would push Bush's precious legacy to the top of the heap, wouldn't it?

Of course, so would a successful impeachment...

[OldSiouxWarrior]

18. That would be a second use, not a first use.

It has been standard US policy of ALL presidents to extend our nuclear response to include other nations. In that situation, Kim's strike on Japan would count as the first use. Further, the US, under all previous Presidents has NOT had a no-first-use policy. The US policy has ALWAYS been to keep an opponent guessing.

The purpose of extending our nuclear response has been to keep down the number of nations that develop an independent nuclear capability. As the number of nations with nukes grows, the danger of one of them using a nuke increases, until eventually one will get used.

So Bush is now doing exactly the same thing that all past presidents have done. The problem is that the solutions of the past may not work anymore. Bush needs to be more imaginative because we are facing a different situation. Kim may actually be nuts.

Kim having nukes has put pressure on SK and on Japan to develop an independent response. Your position that the US should not respond for them, if it were US policy, would almost make certain that Japan would develop nukes. SK will likely do so anyway. So your policy would lead to yet another member of the nuclear club.

Please note that I am not defending Bush, although it may appear like it. I am defending the doctrine of JFK, LBJ, Carter, Clinton and of a congress from the 1950's until now. That has been the historic position of the Democratic Party the entire time.

[krispos42]

22. Thank you for the information

For some reason I thought we had a 'no first use' policy, where we would not start a nuclear war, but we'd sure finish one.

And I did not know that we extended out nuclear umbrella like that. What you say makes a good amount of sense, although the thought of us nuking a country that had not nuked us first makes me... unhappy, I guess is the word for it. A little scared that this policy might escalate what might be a small nuclear exchange into a big one.

I suppose that it makes the odds of a small nuclear exhange much much smaller, but much more severe.

Damn you, Bush, for letting us get into this in the first place! :banghead:

[daleo]

27. True, the U.S. has always been willing to blow up the world

During the Cold War, the U.S. didn't abandon the "right" to pre-emptive nuclear war, even though it could lead to the destruction of civilization. The Soviet Union often claimed it wouldn't use nuclear weapons first, though.

[Eugene]

3. The pressure to rearm is growing.

Japan's new PM is a nationalist. He is now trying to assure
Japan's neighbors that he is not a war hawk and Japan will
not seek nuclear weapons. Meanwhile a senior LDP official
suggested that Japan should consider going nuclear.


From today's, L.A. Times: Japan's Nuclear Predicament

Earlier this week: Japan Should Reexamine Its Nuclear Weapons Ban, Ruling Party Official Says - Reuters

[w4rma]

4. Good. (nt)

[OhioChick]

5. Rice promises U.S. defense of Japan

By ANNE GEARAN, AP Diplomatic Writer
1 minute ago

TOKYO - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday the United States is ready to use the "full range" of its military might to defend Japan in light of North Korea's nuclear weapons test, and her Japanese counterpart drew a firm line against developing a Japanese bomb.

The United States is concerned that Japan, South Korea or perhaps Taiwan may want to develop their own nuclear weapons programs to counter the threat from North Korea. Such moves would anger China, which already has nuclear weapons, and raise tensions in the region.

Part of Rice's assignment on this week's hastily arranged trip to China, Russia, Japan and South Korea is to lessen the temptation to develop separate national nuclear programs by reaffirming the U.S. intention to defend the nations most at risk.

In Japan, Rice said she reaffirmed President Bush's pledge, made the day of the North's test last week, "that the United States has the will and the capability to meet the full range — and I underscore the full range — of its deterrent and security commitments to Japan," Rice said following discussions with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061018/ap_on_re_as/koreas_nuclear

[katinmn]

6. May Condi be in the vicinity when the nukes start flying

I got yer Mushroom Cloud right here, baby!

[gatorboy]

7. Now how in the HELL are we going to protect Japan from nukes?

Talk them into one of those expensive missile shields that haven't even worked for us?

[katinmn]

8. Through a pre-emptive strike!

[OldSiouxWarrior]

19. Same way Democratic Presidents did during the Cold War.

The agreement with Japan was worked out under Democratic Presidents. All Bush is doing is following the old agreements, and acting like he thought of it.

[MaineDem]

9. How nice of her. Aren't we still bound by treaty to do so?

Seems to me, we promised to do that in 1945.

[Art_from_Ark]

12. The current treaty dates from 1960

The US-Japan Mutual Defense Treaty, or "Ampo Joyaku" as it's known in Japanese, created quite a controversy when it was being debated back in 1960. There was quite a bit of opposition to it at the time, with hundreds of thousands of people marching in various demonstrations against it. And one of the right-wing opponents of the treaty was so angered at one of the politicians (Inajiro Asanuma) who supported the treaty that he got a 14-inch sword and stabbed the politician at a news conference.

[MaineDem]

13. Yikes!

That's making a point.
(Sorry)

Thanks for the update. That's good information.

[Art_from_Ark]

21. Mr. Asanuma's attacker was a 17-year-old reactionary

I don't know what the attacker was thinking, but he was apparently a member of some right-wing group, and Mr. Asanuma was a big man in the Japan Socialist Party. But the right-wing party was also supporting the treaty.



Apparently, there was so much opposition to the treaty that a mob surrounded President Eisenhower's press secretary at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, and he had to be airlifted out by helicopter (Eisenhower subsequently canceled his trip to Japan)! And there was another incident in which 4000 people stormed the Diet (Japanese Parliament) on June 15, which ultimately led to the death of one student and serious injury to more than 1000 others.

[underpants]

10. SEE! I TOLD YOU GUYS ABOUT THIS!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2411316&mesg_id=2411316

[Felix Mala]

11. The test was scary-Condi-scendra's presence is terrifying...

Remember, she was put in charge of Iraq - twice- as well as the "surrender" of Hezbollah... Now that Condi-useless is in Asia, we should expect just a little, unfortunate nuclear war followed quickly by a hasty press conference explaining why N. Korea's nuking of S. Korea is good for our interests. It will probably be along the lines of "better the (yellow) people die over there than have (white) people die over here..."

[Phredicles]

14. And when Condi says "We will protect you"

That's when you know you're on your own.

[0007]

15. Wow!! FULL RANGE. "And I underscore the full range"

What chicken coop did they pick that precious saying out of? The Rove cage?


Neo-cons and the full range of prospectives.

[kineneb]

20. not to pick a bone

(pun intended) but some chickens are more intelligent and kind then the whole lot of the Bush Admin. I have a pet chicken, and I wouldn't trade her for any of the crooks in power.

I think the "full range" mentioned must be a load of chicken poop. Even at their worse, a flock of chickens are nicer than Condi et al.

[0007]

31. I agree with 'ya 100% ..

[goclark]

25. Gives the visual of " Rifle Range"

and that is what they want the voters to believe.

[Eurobabe]

33. maybe they meant free range

LOL

[OldSiouxWarrior]

16. JFK had the same policy in the 1960's regarding South & Central America.

He declared that a nuke launched from Cuba against anybody in the Western Hemisphere would be considered an attack on the US.

This statement of Condi's is the same sort of thing. The attempt is to make Kim believe that if he launches on Japan or South Korea then he will get nukes in return. Unfortuanately, while Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) worked during the cold war, it may not work with Kim. There is the serious danger that Kim is actually nuts and believes his own crap.

[madrchsod]

17. we all ready have that agreement....

we made that agreement with japan after ww2... bush is taking credit for truman`s agreement.

[Ian David]

23. Fortunately, Japan has a secret weapon

[lebkuchen]

24. Seeing how poorly the US is defending Iraqis,

it's unlikely Japanese fears are assuaged.

[JoFerret]

26. jesus! Have they brought us to this - these incompetent war-mongers?

have they brought us to the brink of war with their failures and bungling and neo-con attitudes? now we can talk openly of counter-attack in the face of nuclear agression. We are being made numb; insensitized to the coming conflict.

(Does the WH believe it will be instantly raptured?)

[OldSiouxWarrior]

30. Hell, I grew up talking about that !

Talking openly about counter-attack in the face of nuclear aggression ain't new. It was part of JFK's stump speech. He claimed the Soviets had more ICBMs than the US had. He called it the "Missile Gap".

My generation lived with a thousands of missiles in the US & the Soviet Union, pointed at each other, and the Soviets set of "Czar Bomba", a 50 Megaton blast. And they had a huge empire supporting them.

Crisis??? Read up on the Cuban Missile Crisis. I lived through it.

All Kim has is an almost dud (1 kiloton), his rocket was a dud, and the UN is against him, as well as his neighbor nations.

Quit wringing your hands.

[Art_from_Ark]

32. I don't think ALL Kim's neighbor nations are against him

He still seems to be very cozy with China (despite China's public announcements to the contrary), and he has taken two train rides to Russia to meet with Putin. I would not be surprised at all if China and/or Russia were egging him on.

[OldSiouxWarrior]

34. Not about going nuclear.

I don't see any advantage to them for Kim having nukes.

[Art_from_Ark]

36. Going out on a limb a bit here, but...

An advantage to Russia and, especially, China, in having NK armed with a few nukes may be that they could use NK as a surrogate to get back at old enemies, like Japan. They know Crazy Kim won't attack them, but he might be crazy enough to get prodded into launching an attack against Japan (which Kim has a special grudge against), and his country, not theirs, would reap the shitstorm while China and/or Russia could pretend to have their hands clean of the whole affair.

Russia-- led by former KGB officer who is systematically returning his country to the totalitarian days

China-- led by essentially the same bunch of thugs who were responsible for the Tienamen Square massacre

[hogwyld]

38. I wholeheartedly agree

I think CHina and Russia have been playing chess for years, while our own little Napolean has been playing checkers. Eventually, this hollow country will implode upon itself in financial and societal ruin, leaving the rest of the world to them. They'll gladly sacrifice their pawn (NK) to check mate us into a corner we can't escape from.

[Art_from_Ark]

37. Another thing to ask yourself is

Who collaborated with North Korea to develop these nukes? NK couldn't possibly have developed these weapons on its own, it had to have had some sort of outside help. I would consider China to be the most likely suspect.

[SoCalDem]

28. Full circle

We destroyed them with nukes, and apparently now we might "accidentally" destroy them again by protecting them with nukes :puke:

[symbolman]

29. How about a little shout out

to HAWAII YOU BITCH!!!

Or California, Oregon, Seattle?

I live right here and would sure appreciate it if CHENEY moved here and Stayed for awhile..

That earthquake scared the shit out of me, my first thought was that N Korea had Lit up Honolulu and that I needed to get my family to the Hospital's radiological unit and find some Nice THICK LEAD to get behind.

I'm no longer in Paradise it seems. Bastards.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

39. !

:rofl:

[superconnected]

35. Rice is one of the scariest women in America. If she's involved

somethings wrong.