Japan sends navy to fight Somali pirates

[james]

[Greji]

a move that has drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers who fear it could draw the country into military operations prohibited by its pacifist constitution.

I find this persistent use of the verbiage, "pacifist constitution" by the opposition a pain. If you read the pertinent portions thereof, the constitution is not pacifist, although it does state that Japan renounces the right to "wage war."

I think the opposition only makes use of this to "filibuster" anything they don't like (which is normally anything the LDP mentions).

These are the same people who maintain that Japan should take its "rightful" seat on the UN Security Council and protect the world. What pray tell, do they intend on protecting the world with? They raise holy hell if the are asked to send peace keepers anywhere.

[Ketou]

Talking out a bill is about the only option they have in this one horse town.....

[Greji]

Talking out a bill is about the only option they have in this one horse town.....

Good point. That just about sizes it all up!

[Buraku]

[IkemenTommy]

Are you sure that the navy is just not out there to pay off the briberies?

[Greji]

Are you sure that the navy is just not out there to pay off the briberies?

If they operate under the rules the opposition wants to put out, I can just see it now!

"....Diet called into special session to allocate funds to pay Somali pirates for release of the Japan SDF naval ships. The ships had been attacked and notified the Diet for permission to return fire and while the Diet debated whether it would violate the pacifist constitution, the pirates boarded them and are demanding ransom. The Diet is more in favor of resolving the issue by this method as it will not violate the pacifist constitution...."

[Ketou]

Once they get rid of the pirates they can send their fishing fleets in again...

[IkemenTommy]

Whaling?

[Ketou]

Whaling?

No just the normal net and plunder stuff.

The collapse of the Somali government and lack of authority gave the green light to all worlds fishing fleets to come and rape the place. The local fishermen got a little peeved and started to fight back....which lead to piracy.

[Bucky]

Now the government is looking at placing armed SDF members on ships.

The government began investigating placing armed Japanese Maritime Self-Defense or Coast Guard members on civilian ships registered in Japan traveling through areas suffering from repeated piracy, in an effort to strengthen piracy counter-measures in the seas off Somalia, it was learned on Oct 21. Somalian pirates are active from the seas off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden to the Arabian Sea in the east and off the coast of Kenya to the south. With Japanese and international vessels on patrol in the region unable to escort every vessel, the new proposal for the use of armed guards was floated.


With the aim of bringing in armed guards, the Ministry of Defense is launching an investigation to consider amending the Piracy Countermeasures Law, which is the basis for the dispatch of MSDF ships for escort duty in the Gulf of Aden. As the escort vessels have eight Coast Guard members aboard, the Coast Guard is also investigating placing its members aboard civilian ships.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Now the government is looking at placing armed SDF members on ships.

Not great news for such types as Thalidomide babies, but certainly a great help when it comes to being able to handle guns...