Text Fwd: Solidarity email from Japan: What is going on in Japan regarding the satellite lunch of the North Korea?

The citations are from the emails which were sent to the No Base Stories of Korea from a kind Japanese friend on March 28, 2009. Thanks very much, friend. I love you.


“As you understand, all of our media call it a "missile", not calling it a "satellite" at all, though those who are aginst MD systems here in Japan oppose this kind expression by our media.

But the biggest point to those in Japan against MD is the possibility for our MSDF to intercept it, whether or not it is a missile. as this is going to be a grave violation of our peace Constitution, which we cannot tolerate.”


“It is as if Japan were in war-contingency, with the rapid transfer of PAC3 to the northern area where the possible fallout of a missile component could be, according to media here, best destroyed with PAC3, although even our Foreign Minister had said several days ago that it would be difficult to strike it in the air.

Prime Minister Aso summoned Security Meeting in Diet and decided to take measure of destructing a component fallout or a failed missile in case of its fall on Japanese severien land and seas. Please note that this dicision was not through the normal procedure in Cabinet Meeting but only through Security Meeting chaired by Prime Minister.

According to the above decision, Defense Minister Hamada initiated the order, based on such an article in the Self Defense Law as to destruction order, which has been itself initiated for the first time since the WW2, but which has never been revealed to public so far, much to our surpise. According to an article in a today's newspaper, in case a Taepodong-2 is launched,
which means that the missle will go high in the direction of the USA, Japan cannot intercept it according to the Article 9 in Constitution. But in the other case of a lower-flying missle, which means it may drop a component, SM3 and PAC3 will be launched. Also the newspaper article said that intercepting may be fail because of the time lag in recognizing the altitude of a possible missile launce at its early satge.

Some local and central people quickly responded to this, issuing messages here and there against this " fake defense-contingency " (by Shuko Yamashita, a municipal rep. of Iruma, where PAC3 is now deployed.) A demonstration in front of Defense Ministry building is planned on the evening of April 1.”


* Related article*
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/03/200932722643801648.html
UPDATED ON: Friday, March 27, 2009
12:41 Mecca time, 09:41 GMT
Japan to 'intercept' N Korea rocket
(Site informed in the Information Clearing House)