Japanese opposition vows to release details of secret agreements with U.S.

Posted By Joshua Keating Monday, July 20, 2009 - 1:13 PM Share

The opposition Democratic Party of Japan -- currently leading in the polls -- has a decent chance of unseating the ruling Liberal Democratic Party after more than half a century of nearly uninterrupted rule. But judging from this interview with the DPJ's Secretary General Katsuya Okada in Mainichi Shimbun, a DPJ victory might have some unexpected consequences for U.S. national security. According to Okada, the DPJ will release details of secret bilateral security agreements between the United States and Japan, including one that allows U.S. shipscarrying nuclear weapons to dock at Japanese ports:

Problems involving the secret agreement on Okinawa must be discussed by Japan and the U.S. The existence of the secret agreement on bringing nuclear weapons to Japan means that Japan secretly endorsed the introduction of nuclear arms into Japan's territory despite its three non-nuclear principles banning it. Therefore, if we publicize the secret nuclear accord, we must hold policy discussions on whether we should revise the three non-nuclear principles or maintain them. If Japan and the U.S. have interpreted the introduction of nuclear weapons into Japan's territory in different ways, the two countries must unify their interpretation.

EXPLORE:JAPAN, MILITARY, POLITICS

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