Wartime laws would be invoked following preemptive attack: Japanese defense chief

Japanese Defense Agency Director General Ishiba Shigeru says that the contingency laws, which the Japanese parliament is considering, would be invoked if Japan determines that it is likely to be attacked in retaliation for a U.S. preemptive attack in Asia.

This was in answer to questions by Japanese Communist Party representative Kijima Hideo at a Lower House special committee meeting on April 24.

The question was whether the contingency laws would be invoked in the event of a U.S. preemptive attack near Japan. Kijima referred to two possible cases. One case is that a U.S. ultimatum is responded to by an announcement of a possible attack on Japan because of the existence of U.S. military bases in Japan. The other is when a foreign country not only responds to the U.S. preemptive attack but is likely to attack Japan. Kijima asked: "Will these cases be interpreted as a 'predicted attack on Japan' to be responded to by invoking the contingency laws?"

The defense chief said that the government will regard both cases as a "situation in which armed attack on Japan is predicted."

Ishiba said, "I would not argue that the contingency laws cannot be invoked because of particular situations in which an attack on Japan is predicted." (end)