Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

Japan desired to intercept U.S. bound missiles using U.S. provided information

These missiles to be intercepted will supposedly be fired from North Korea or other potentially hostile countries, at least initially. Since Russia’s nuclear arsenal is pointed at us from over the Arctic I would surmise the U.S. fears the missiles will originate from China.

Is this why the Defense Department has awarded Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas a $69.5 million contract for the procurement of 44 Harpoon all-up-round [AUR] missiles for a range of U.S. allies? Egypt will receive 10 of the Harpoons with the rest allocated to Taiwan.
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Is Taiwan also supposed to use their Harpoons for our defense as well as their own?

China has nearly 500 medium-range missiles targeted at Taiwan. Given the following release one would have to wonder how many long-range missiles China has targeted at the United States.
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-Am


U.S. urges govt to rethink collective defense ban



Toshiyuki Ito Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

The Japanese government should modify its interpretation of the country's constitutional right to collective self-defense to allow it to share information with the United States over the operation of missile defense systems, a U.S. Defense Department official said on condition of anonymity Friday.

Japan plans to start operations of a missile defense system in fiscal 2007.

However, some critics say the government will violate the constitutional ban on exercising the right to collective self-defense if the Self-Defense Forces intercept an enemy missile aimed at the United States using information provided by U.S. forces.

The official told reporters that the threats faced by Japan today differ from those faced when the Japanese government decided to prohibit exercising its right to collective self-defense. The short flight time of missiles aimed at Japan would mean there is little time for decision-making, he said.

It is up to the Japanese government to decide how it will respond to the changed environment, he added.

Meanwhile, another defense official said he was not sure if a missile defense system Japan and the United States are to introduce can be guaranteed to intercept ballistic missiles fired from North Korea or other potentially hostile countries, at least initially.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20040328wo41.htm