Posted on 10/29/2006 12:19:24 AM PDT by Righty_McRight
The U.S. is considering deploying its advanced Patriot missile defense system near Tokyo after North Korea's recent missile and nuclear tests, a newspaper reported Sunday.
Washington unofficially informed the Japanese government it is considering putting Patriot Advanced Capability 3 surface-to-air interceptor missiles around Yokota Air Base in Tokyo's western suburbs and around Yokosuka Naval Base, south of the capital, the Nihon Keizai newspaper reported without saying how it got the information.
The added defenses would cover critical U.S. military installations on the outskirts of Tokyo.
The move would be part of a previously announced U.S.-Japanese effort to deploy PAC-3 missile defense systems around the country as the two allies look for ways to counter what is seen as a growing threat from neighboring North Korea.
North Korea alarmed the region in July by test firing several missiles, including a long-range model believed capable of striking the western U.S. Earlier this month, the isolated communist country sparked global outrage by its first-ever test of a nuclear bomb.
Analysts doubt North Korea's ability to accurately deliver atomic weapons atop its missiles. But after the missile test, the U.S. and Japan announced plans to deploy the Patriots, which are designed to destroy ballistic or cruise missiles and aircraft.
U.S. military officials have already confirmed that the first batch of equipment for the PAC-3 missiles arrived in Okinawa in southern Japan, where the bulk of U.S. forces in the nation are stationed.
The Patriots would be used as a last resort if Standard Missile-3 interceptors fired from U.S. and Japanese ships fail to knock out incoming missiles, the report said.
We SHOULD be finding ways to get the Japanese to take on more of their OWN defense. I say, give them nukes!
Japan ping.
sumahen. thanks!
History has a nasty habit of repeating itself in ever evolving patterns and forms.
Japan * ping * (kono risuto ni hairitai ka detai wo shirasete kudasai : let me know if you want on or off this list)
Nihon Keizai is printing exactly what they were told, I suspect.
thxs 4 ping :D
We should say to the Chinese: "Evrything has a cost. And the cost to you of allowing the NK's to have nukes, is that we will allow the Japanese and the Taiwanese to also have nukes, with Western-quality missiles that can reach Beijing and the Three Gorges Dam
Unfortunately, current concerns outweighs "possible" futures quite often.
NOT to give Japan the Nuke because it ONCE was a bad guy is NOT a logical reaction when faced with worse enemies in the Pacific Rim!
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