Japan admits secret pact: reports

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: AFP

A Japanese government team has found documents on an alleged secret pact with the United States to transport nuclear weapons through its territory, after decades of official denial, reports said on Sunday.

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's centre-left government launched a probe into the alleged nuclear pact and other secret agreements with the United States days after it took office in September.

The probe team reported to Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada on Friday that it had discovered documents linked to the pact from among thousands of files at the foreign ministry, the Mainichi Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbun newspapers reported, citing unnamed ministry sources.

"Foreign minister admits 'nuclear secret pact'" declared the headline in the Mainichi Shimbun, while the Yomiuri Shimbun echoed: "Government view likely to change - 'nuclear secret pact'."



Read more: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/japan-admits-secret-pact-reports-20091122-isnf.html

[BunkerHill24]

1. No wonder the N. Koreans are fearful about the S.Korean friendship..

with the US. I guess a nuclear pact between Japan and the US was a known to the N. Koreans, hence, they have decided that they needed one of their own nuclear deterrent!

[nyy1998]

4. It's also why China is also pressuring the North Koreans

They are fearful of a "nuclear" Japan and I think this is a smart move by the Japanese to declare it. Now the Chinese will really crack down on North Korea which should help resolve that issue.

[rpannier]

2. Although it's not on topic

The article reports, "...Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's centre-left government..."
It is NOT a center left government. It is a center right government that is slightly to the left of the last government.
As I recall, the Japanese network NHK reported that 1 in 4 members of the new government came from the old ruling party

[pnorman]

3. I'm not so sure of that.

The formerJapan Socialist Party seems to have dissolved and become part of this new Democratic Party.

pnorman

[rpannier]

7. Their platform is still very pro-corporate

and their proposals to fix the economy differ slightly from their rivals.
As I mentioned earlier, their official slate of candidates in the last election were about 25% from the rival party.
It might also be pointed out that the Japanese Communist Party is actually the Socialist Party (if you read their platform). The Japanese Socialist Party was not what a European or Canadian Socialist Party is. They were more to the center.

[Lurks Often]

5. Ummm

According to the article, the agreement was made way back in 1960. Planes capable of delivering nuclear weapons in 1960 would have needed a re-fueling stop to hit some of the targets deep inside the USSR or China. Now with air to air refueling and ICBMs there is no need to stop in Japan.

[unkachuck]

6. "...pact with the United States to transport nuclear weapons through its territory,..."

....the irony....the one country to suffer a nuclear attack from the United States has a 'nuclear secret pact' with the US to transport nuclear weapons through its territory....

....the Japanese people should be infuriated with their government, and ours....if big ticket issues like this can't be brought into the open for the people to consider, what good is democracy?