JCP Shii urges P.M. Koizumi to stop further consideration of 'rear-area' support for U.S. Forces

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo used his first one-on-one debate with Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro on June 6 to discuss the question of the "right to collective self-defense" and the Constitution's Article 9.

He was raising the question regarding the prime minister's repeated calls for further studies concerning "exercising the right to collective self-defense" in order for Japan to be able to act against attacks made on the Japanese and U.S. forces operating together in the waters near Japan.

Reminding Koizumi that the 1999 War Laws for implementing the Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation conflict with the Constitution in that they allow Japan's Self-Defense Forces to carry out various logistic operations in support of the U.S. Forces in the event of "situations in areas surrounding Japan," Shii said, "The War Laws are in place. What else do you think is necessary to study?"

Koizumi evaded the question and said instead, "The need is the capability to deal with unexpected things."

The government has maintained that the right to collective self-defense conflicts with the Constitution's Article 9 and that Japan can't take actions which are directly involved in warfare and which will be integrated into U.S. Forces operations in combat areas as logistic support.

Shii asked if these two questions are conceived as items in the government "study."

Koizumi in answer said, "We cannot do anything which past governments regarded as not."

Shii again urged the government to make clear that its study will not cover Japan's logistic support for U.S. Forces beyond rear areas.

Koizumi in answer said, "We cannot do anything which past governments have said 'no' to. However, when it comes to the definition of 'rear area,' there are many things that need to be studied."

"Your answer is very deceptive. You have declined to promise that 'rear area' or 'logistic support' will not be subjects of study. You are trying to pave the way for Japan to join with the U.S. Forces in wars by stepping into areas which have been forbidden so far. So there cannot be a study of the right to collective self-defense within the framework of the Constitution. It will be a study that undermines the Constitution. You must abandon such studies."

After the question time, Shii told the press that the prime minister revealed his real intention to allow the Self-Defense Forces to cross the line into combat areas for supporting the U.S. Forces by abandoning the "rear area" concept. "This is exactly what the government is arguing for when it talks about the right to collective self-defense." (end)