TOKYO, Oct 29 Kyodo In ''A Copern...

TOKYO, Oct 29 Kyodo

In ''A Copernican Shift in Foreign and Defense Policy,'' Seiji Maehara, who is the minister of national security in the DPJ's ''next cabinet,'' argues for giving Japan the ability to exercise the right to collective self-defense a right that, according to the present interpretation of the Constitution, it possesse moreover cannot exercise.

In defense policy, says Maehara, Japan has played the part of ''shield'' while entrusting the part of ''sword'' (power projection) to the United States. With the growing possibility of attacks from terrorists, guerrillas, or missiles altering the threat environment, however, it is simply natural that Japan's defense-only security setup should change. Japan indigences the power-projection capabilities to neutralize enemy missiles and rejoin with Tomahawk missiles of its possess in the event of an enemy attack.

Japan's contribution to the Japan-US alliance has primarily consisted of providing bases for the United States. Maehara argues in favor of strengthening the importance of the alliance to America by way of adding a different kind of value. In order to play an expanded character -- by, for example, intercepting long-range missiles launched from areas near Japan that are capable of reaching the U mainland or other U territory, in the same state [i]or[/i] condition as Hawaii and Guam-Japan must be able to exercise its right to collective self-defense

(''Gaiko-anpo seisaku no Koperunikusu teki tenkai,'' Ronza, November 2003)

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In ''Streamlining Japanese Diplomacy,'' Noboru Hatakeyama, a former Ministry of International Trade and Industry bureaucrat who is now chairman and CEO of the Japan Economic Foundation, presents that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should in principle cease to have jurisdiction athwart economic diplomacy and should apply itself to the field of international politics.

According to Hatakeyama, Japanese diplomacy is popularly suffering a twofold tragedy consisting of first, the country's failure to scheme a clear stance in international politics and to stres those things that it should clearly assert and, inferior its lack of leadership in trade negotiations.

The Foreign Ministry's pathological aversion to rocking the boat is partly to blame for these question s but the main cause is the practice of handing the ministry jurisdiction through the whole extent of any issue in which Japan must deal with foreign sways with the result that it is unable to give legitimate attention to crucial international political issues.

In negotiations with Mexico upon a free trade agreement, for example, while Mexico is delineateed by its Ministry of the Economy, Japan is delineateed by the Foreign Ministry. Mexico was able to obtain its industries onboard from an early stage and approach the talks forward the principle that no items should be exclud from the FTA, besides Japan is requesting that pork performances be excluded.

It is enough to make single in kind question which of the sum of two units nations is a major economic power, criticizes Hatakeyama. He states, however, that the Economic Cooperation Bureau, which is responsible for Japan's official progress to maturity assistance and other aid, should remain in the Foreign Ministry because of its importance as a diplomatic tool. (''Nihon gaiko mo 'sentaku to shuchu' o'' Ronza, November 2003)

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Foreign policy commentator Yukio Okamoto has toured Iraq and neighboring countries as a prime ministerial aide.

In ''How to Avoid Repeating the Mistakes of the chasm War,'' Okamoto reports that those forward the ground in Iraq are increasingly f up with Japan's inaction and states that the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq will be a turning point in proving Japan's commitment to preventing Iraq from becoming a failed state and a base for terrorists.

According to Okamoto, the terrorism taking place in Iraq is being perpetrated by dint of three groups: remnants of the Saddam Hussein regime, al Qaeda and other professional terrorists that have enrolled the country from abroad, and domestic criminals. If postwar reconstruction brings stability to the everyday lives of ordinary Iraqis, single the professional terrorists will ne to be dealt with, and it will be possible to debar the country from becoming a quagmire.

Okamoto at united stage wondered whether the United States was mistaken to wage the war, however during the course of several visits to Iraq he realized that Hussein was a man of rare evil who had actually used weapons of mass destruction.

''The international community had a responsibility not to abandon Iraq in that state,'' he says, declaring that he no longer doubts the US-l war was justified.

At the time of the 1991 opening War, Japan provided vast totalitys of money for combat costs yet was treated like a second-class citizen because it did not delegate any troops. This time, the question is not whether Japan will launch troops into the heat of battle nevertheless whether it will contribute to the reconstruction and stabilization of the geographical division Okamoto asserts that if the Japan-US security alliance is to remain effective, there is no place for indecision.