PM Abe Warns On Security As Japan Mulls Defense

[Lex]

TOKYO -Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned of a "dramatically more severe" security situation Friday as a panel of experts met to study how Tokyo can defend its allies without breaching its constitution.
The discussions by the panel of former officials and academics are part of Abe's drive to build a more assertive nation and reflect his desire to bolster military ties with the United States, Japan's main ally.
"The security environment surrounding our country is becoming dramatically more severe," Abe said at the start of the meeting.
"As prime minister, I have the responsibility of building a constructive security framework able to respond to events," said the premier, who is known for his hawkish views on North Korea.
The study panel is led by ex-ambassador to Washington Shunji Yanai and aims to draw up a report for Abe by the end of the year.
The current constitution, imposed by US occupiers after World War II, says Japan forever renounces the use of force to resolve international disputes.
Successive governments have interpreted the 1947 constitution as allowing the right only to self-defense in the strictest sense.
However, Japan has been gradually boosting its military despite frequent tension with Asian neighbors haunted by its past aggression, and took the landmark step of sending troops to Iraq.
Abe has vowed to rewrite the constitution and earlier this week parliament approved a bill outlining procedures for a referendum on the first revision of the text.
One theoretical case the panel will consider is whether Japan has the right to destroy a ballistic missile fired by North Korea at the United States.
The United States currently stations more than 40,000 troops in Japan and is obliged by treaty to protect the country from enemy attack. But unlike NATO in Europe, Japan is under no obligation to defend the United States.

AGENCY FRANCE-PRESSE, TOKYO
Posted 05/18/07 15:30