Left Flank

In the wake of DPRK's nuclear declaration, followed by Washington's de-listing of Pyongyang from its terrorist watch list, Japan's Liberal Democrats and Ichiro Ozawa, according to two Observing Japan reports, are reacting badly. Not only has the Bush administration placated Pyongyang for Beijing's good graces, but Japan worries it is sidelined.

Firstly, LDP conservatives feel betrayed by the Bush administration.

In his memoir, Abe Shinzo wrote of his lonely fight alongside Nakagawa Shoichi and a handful of other LDP conservatives to oppose normalization with North Korea and place the abductions issue at the center of Japan's North Korea policy. They battled against the LDP, the media, academia, and the foreign ministry to force them to consider the plight of the abductees before providing North Korea with aid and clearing the way to diplomatic recognition.

Here we are in 2008 and Mr. Abe got his wish. Resolving the abductees issue has become a primary goal of Japan's North Korea policy, a goal that enjoys substantial support in the public, the media, and the LDP. The US is pilloried for giving (symbolic) ground to North Korea without resolution of the issue and the Fukuda government is pilloried for letting the US shift happen. Mr. Abe, Hiranuma Takeo, and other conservatives set the tone on North Korea.

And, the opposition Democrats' leader, Ichiro Ozawa took aim at both Washington and the LDP, and earned Washington's disgust.

In short, Mr. Ozawa was making an election pitch to the people of Okinawa in this press conference. He was arguing that LDP governments over the past seven years have failed to stand up for Japan and have failed to articulate and defend Japan's national interests, preferring instead to hope that the US will defend Japan's national interests. Again, his position is less critical of the US for «abandoning» Japan than critical of LDP-led governments for leaving Japan in a position to feel abandoned in the first place.

Again, the clumsy giant trips over itself and its friends.

Regardless of how one views it—as unconstitutional or tactically opportunistic—it's a tactical defeat for Ichiro Ozawa. So much for consensus politics!

But really, what law got passed is not worth passing (except in the most symbolic of senses).

In response to past criticism that some of the MSDF fuel provided to other ships was actually used in the war in Iraq, Japanese government officials, in writing, will ask allies to use the fuel only for the anti-terrorism campaign in Afghanistan.

Refueling will only be conducted after the projected routes of the receiving ships are known.

The new law also limits the MSDF's activities to providing fuel and water to other ships.

The original special measures law that led to the start of the refueling mission included such activities as transport by the Air Self-Defense Force, search-and-rescue missions and providing assistance to displaced people.

Those activities were eliminated from the new law.

The new law also has a time limit of one year. If a further extension of the refueling mission is required, the government would have to pass another special measures bill into law.

Just in time to tack to the new US administration's line.