Japan provides data to US army

Source: CCTV.com | 01-18-2007 16:24

Japanese Defense Ministry's Joint Staff Office is planning to provide the US military with intelligence collected by the Air Force outside the country. Defense Ministry officials also said that Japan and the US would deploy Aegis-equipped destroyers to the Sea of Japan, to "cope" with the DPRK's ballistic missiles.

If the plan is passed, Japan will share sensitive intelligence with the US armed forces. But discussions between the two to detail what will be provided and when are still underway.

The US military believes that with access to information from Japan's database, it could detect DPRK fighter planes taking off, and determine whether they are heading toward the Sea of Japan.

Japan is currently allowed to share such military information with US forces during national emergencies, but there is no agreement on provisions for doing so during peacetime or under emergency situations in areas outside the country.

The uncertainty has been left unaddressed because the Japanese government has previously said that providing information that supports the use of force, could be interpreted as conflicting with the pacifist Constitution.

Editor:Du Xiaodan