Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's remarks in the Diet last week have reconfirmed that he is intent on expanding the scope of the Self-Defense Forces' military activities overseas, despite his statement on July 1 — the day his Cabinet reinterpreted the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution — that Japan's use of force should still be restricted to minimum necessary self-defense.
If Japan takes part in collective self-defense in accordance with the Cabinet decision, it could become a target of retaliation by the countries or parties against which its actions are directed. It is deplorable that the prime minister continues to avoid discussing this inherent danger when he talks about collective self-defense. People and lawmakers should be aware of the possibility of such a grave consequence.
During the two-day Diet session, Abe said, "There is no change to the principle that dispatch (of the SDF) on military missions overseas is generally prohibited." But as long as "generally" is inserted in this phrase, it does not rule out the dispatch of the SDF on such missions. But as long as "generally" is inserted in this phrase, it does not rule out the dispatch of the SDF on such missions. Thus Abe's words serve as a smokescreen to hide the possibility of the SDF being sent abroad for missions directly related to military conflicts.