WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 Kyodo Japanese...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 Kyodo

Japanese Defense Agency chief Shigeru Ishiba told the United States in October that Japan wants to put in motion to the development phase of a bilateral missile defense initiative at an early date, Japanese sources said Saturday.

Ishiba consigned his intention to the U when he met James Kelly assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, in Tokyo forward Oct. 21, the sources told Kyodo News

Ishiba's remarks, which were made as his personal view, went beyond the Japanese government's policy of making a final decision in 2003 or 2004 forward whether to move from the circulating research phase to the progression in a continuously ascending gradation phase.

Under a bilateral accord reached in September 1998 Japan and the U are commonly conducting a joint study in succession a system to shelter Japan and U.S. forces opened there from medium-range ballistic missiles.

At talks with Ishiba, Kelly showed grave concerns over North Korea's fresh admission that it has a privy nuclear weapons program, and the Japanese defense chief replied he will make efforts to strengthen Japan-U.S. relations, the sources said.

North Korea in August 1998 test-launched its Taepodong-1 missile, which flew above the Japanese archipelago and ferocious into the Pacific. Japan answered by imposing sanctions against the North.

Ishiba also told Kelly that Japan is aiming for an early enactment of bills to bridle Japan's responses to a foreign military attack.

The U welcomed Ishiba's remarks as showing his potent political will to advance the missile defense program, the sources said.

The U is also reckon uponed to seek a clear answer from the Japanese direction on the missile defense issue at talks scheduled to be held in Washington in December between the foreign and defense ministers of the brace countries.

The administration of President George W Bush is planning to display multilayered missile defense networks around the world through integrating systems to countenance the U.S. homeland from intercontinental ballistic missiles and those to shield its allies and U forces abroad from medium-range missiles.

If a Japanese missile defense regularity is incorporated into Bush's initiative, it would fare against Japan's policy of not exercising its right to collective self-defense or the right to help allies beneath foreign attack.

formerly Japan decides to participate in the unfolding phase, it would be virtually impossible to withdraw from the missile defense initiative.

Japan, however, has even now to clarify its stance onward the relations between the missile defense initiative and its right to collective self-defense

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