[luke warm]

i had no idea japan was capable of such a unilateral action... what would be the ramifications of such an act?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13775754/

[mike777]

This is the big stick against China.
1) If you asssume short of war it is only China that can reign in NK then...
2) Using the threat of SK and Japan going nuclear is the big stick.....
3) If China could care less than there is only one huge problem stick left....
4) Taiwan going nuclear...and that I think boys and girls means WAR.
5) If we can just get past the next 44 years or so then we can worry about this:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?...es/art0680.html

[pclayton]

Ramifications for whom? If Japan, NK, SK, Taiwan or China, doesn't bode well.

For the US? If it gives us an excuse to move our troops out of the middle east, I'm all for that, even if they are just sitting on warships in the Sea of Japan.

Oddly enough, instability in China probably helps slow down inflation pressure and price pressure on commodities over here; not that war is ever a good thing.

Mike, Animats sound interesting if they will help me lose weight

[whereagles]

I don't think Japan will do that.

[luke warm]

whereagles, on Jul 11 2006, 05:12 AM, said:

I don't think Japan will do that.

maybe, but the question is *can* they, and can they do so successfully? i honestly was unaware that japan had the power to even contemplate a unilateral strike against n.k. ... for some reason i have always thought that japan needed us (the u.s.) as protection against n.k., but evidently i am wrong...

[mike777]

luke warm, on Jul 12 2006, 01:08 PM, said:

whereagles, on Jul 11 2006, 05:12 AM, said:

I don't think Japan will do that.

maybe, but the question is *can* they, and can they do so successfully? i honestly was unaware that japan had the power to even contemplate a unilateral strike against n.k. ... for some reason i have always thought that japan needed us (the u.s.) as protection against n.k., but evidently i am wrong...

Jimmy, Japan does have the Strike F-15's and F-16's planes to do this. They also have the refueling ability. Not sure if they have the Cruise Missile capability.

[whereagles]

Hum.. air strike, maybe. Invasion, no way. China would invade as well.

[luke warm]

mike777, on Jul 12 2006, 01:18 PM, said:

Jimmy, Japan does have the Strike F-15's and F-16's planes to do this. They also have the refueling ability. Not sure if they have the Cruise Missile capability.

i know, but to me the term 'preemptive strike' carries with it the assurance that no retaliatory strike is possible or likely... i just didn't know japan was strong enough to attack and fear no (direct military) reprisals

[sceptic]

I am not sure that they would want to have refuelling stations, I thought they just flew one way

[adhoc3]

Hey, man. Asian people hate to hear Japan using military force against some one. Actually, I wonder if there're anyone willing to see that happen. Are there?