Tokyo and Washington have been upgrading joint operation plans
for a possible contingency on the Korean Peninsula that could
develop into a military crisis in Japan since December, local media
reported on Friday.
The new joint operational plan, an upgrade of the one signed in
2002, is expected to be "far more detailed," the English-language
Asahi Shimbun newspaper said. It will call on Japan to
provide logistics support for US troops, including the use of
specific ports and hospitals in case of a military emergency in or
around Japan.
Japan and the United States hope to nail down the plan by autumn
this year, the paper said, citing government sources. Discussions
have been going on between members include the vice chief of staff
of Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF), the US military deputy
commander stationed in Japan and other senior officials.
The plan will spell out role-sharing arrangements for the SDF
and the US military, including defense of the country against
missiles and direct strikes on enemy bases.
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper on Friday,
the plan will also include measures to evacuate civilians of the
two countries living in South Korea in case of emergency.
Under the envisioned evacuation plan, Japan is required to
provide a temporary refuge for Americans evacuated from South
Korea, while the United States should help transport Japanese
evacuees using its military aircraft and vessels, the
Yomiuri said.
(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2007)
