Contrary to what Europe and the rest of the world has said with regard to the Bush Doctrine of pre-emption, every nation on Earth has and will consider such a move when it is regarded as being in their best strategic interest. From Russia, to France, to Britain to Israel, to India, pre-emption is not revolutionary, contrary to the President’s detractors. Japan is no exception to this premise. Last week the Phalanx warned of a re-militarized Japan and today Japanese politicians are openly speaking of pre-emption with regard to North Korea.

At present Japan’s constitution forbids the use of force as a means of solving international disputes, just as the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928. With the furor over Kim Jong Il’s recent missile tests, however, the Japanese are vocally considering a change. Presently Japan has no offensive military capability. Its weapons and standing military are purely for self-defense, thus any preemptive strike would require not only a political change but a change in military hardware as well. Given Japan’s technological prowess, it’s doubtful the world would have to wait long for a resurgent Japan to develop such a capability.

The prospects for a re-militarized Japan are even greater when one considers the ineptitude of organizations like the UN, where tyrannical regimes like Russia and China, under the guise of diplomacy, take every opportunity to derail collective action against North Korea, just as they have done with the Mullahs of Tehran.

Perhaps only one nation has been more of an obstacle to international efforts to contain the North Koreans, and that nation, perhaps surprisingly is South Korea. Historically, the South Koreans have been far less bellicose than the Japanese with regard to confronting the North. The Koreans, blindly downplay the North Korean threat, in reality, the South’s moves are purely strategic. The South fully realizes that over half of their population lies within less than 100 miles of the North Korean border, and any assault on the North would surely bring down Kim’s wrath on Seoul. Thus the South can be excused for playing it cool, the Russians and Chinese, on the other hand, have another agenda entirely.

Now the ball is in China’s court, if they wish to avoid a scenario with Japan as a major military power in Asia then Beijing will have to reign in its wayward ally. If the Chinese fail to do so, as they surely will, look for Japan to take further steps toward re-militarization, which would be their right.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-07-10-north-korea-japan_x.htm