On The Rocks? - Illustration (1)
Illustration by Mike Sparrow (www.mikesparrow.com)
Implications of recent domestic political developments for the US-Japan alliance
By Adam P Liff
The political drama ensuing from the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)’s historic takeover of the House of Councillors this past summer continues to dominate newspaper headlines nearly six months later. The poster child for the consequences of the nascent power split between the upper and lower houses, which the Japanese media have creatively christened a ‘twisted Diet,’ has been none other than controversy surrounding the extension of the socalled Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law (ATSML). The failure of the ruling coalition to pass this legislation, which ultimately resulted in the November 1 withdrawal of Self Defense Force (SDF) vessels from a refueling mission in support of US-led coalition operations in Afghanistan, has aroused concern in US policy circles about the reliability of Japan’s commitment to assume a more active role in international security. The US ambassador, for one, framed the issue in manichean terms at a Japan National Press Club meeting in late October, stating that SDF withdrawal could be perceived as tantamount to Japan “opting out of the War on Terror.”
Recent comments