Sometimes somebody has to state the obvious and this is just such a case.  The Japanese have managed to muddle through each crisis as it developed, but the inadequacy of having a basic framework fro using and governing the use of her military Japan hamstrings herself even in situations where she has both a vested interest in participating in operations and a public consenus to do so.

From the Japan Times: Permanent SDF law should set dispatch principles: Ishiba.

     Japan needs a permanent law that lays out the basic rules for dispatching the Self-Defense Forces overseas, instead of enacting short-term special laws for each mission, newly appointed Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in a recent interview.

     "We should set basic principles and rules to decide under what conditions we will send (SDF units) overseas," said Ishiba, a noted expert on defense issues. "Enacting a special law each time is problematic.

     Given the fact that the world is only going to become more unsettled before stability returns one hope that the Diet will sit up and take notice of Defense Minister Ishiba's words.  The current mission in the Indian ocean looks to be continued despite the opposition of the DPJ, so why not prevent such wasted energy and time in the future by permanently fixing the problem now than putting off down the road for a nother two years.  The results would likely be the same and would give Japan a lot more manuvering room on the international front.

Posted by: raging tachikoma at 01:30 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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