先週は北朝鮮の「飛翔体」の報道が過熱した1週間でしたが、結局は大方の予想通り日本の上を飛び越えて特に落下物もなく被害もなくショーは終わりました。ショーに興奮して浮き足だった政府（「飛翔体」発射の誤報や迎撃ミサイル発射装置を輸送する自衛隊のトラックが接触事故を起こして3時間立ち往生）やマスコミの横並び一斉報道に違和感を覚えた方も多かったかと思います。

現在この飛翔体問題は国連安保理に移っていますが、日本ではその余韻をひきずりつつ、千載一遇のチャンスと見てか気になる政治家の動きがあります。

今朝の東京新聞によれば、昨日9日の衆議院安全保障委員会にて浜田防衛相が、ミサイル発射を探知する早期警戒衛星（ミサイルやロケット発射時の熱を宇宙から感知できる等高性能）の保有について検討を始める考えを示しました。また、有志議員7人によって発足した敵基地攻撃の可能性を探る勉強会「北朝鮮に対する抑止力強化を考える会」（発起人：自民党の山本一太参議院議員）が昨日初会合を開いたそうです。4月6日の産経新聞には、

「日本の敵地攻撃能力は、自衛権（の範囲内）であれば憲法に違反しない。能力、要件を本気で議論することが抑止力を増す」

と山本議員が強調したと報道されています。本人のブログを見ると、

断っておくが、「北朝鮮を攻撃しろ！」みたいな「極端な思考」を持つ議員の集まりではない！（笑）　今回のミサイル発射でさらに増加した「北朝鮮の脅威」に対して「いかに日本の抑止力を強化するか」を「冷静かつ戦略的に」研究するグループだ。

と書かれています。検討して何が出てくるのか、それをどうするつもりなのか分かりませんが、1カ月程度でこの会の提言をまとめるとのことなので、「冷静かつ戦略的」な提言というのが何なのか、不安を覚えますが待ってみましょう。

そう言えば、今回の飛翔体発射ではあまり報道されず役に立っているのか分かりませんでしたが、日本は情報収集衛星（つまり偵察衛星）を保有しています。情報収集衛星は2003年に初めて打ち上げられ、現在4機が軌道を回っています。この総額2500億円をつぎ込んだ情報収集衛星開発配備プロジェクトのきっかけになったのは、1998年8月に日本上空を通過したテポドン1号の発射でした。

歴史は繰り返されるというか、人間は忘れやすいというか、また同じようなどさくさにまぎれた動きが出ています。でもこれには安易で非常に腹が立ちます。

その2に続く・・・

＞NIジャパン

On 5th April, North Korea launched a projectile, (still discussions and studies are going on whether it was just a missile or a rocket with a satellite) which flew over Japan. Since North Korea already announced in March that the launch would be between 4 and 8 April, the Japanese government and media had been so busy during the last week. The government ordered the deployment of some ground-to-air interceptor missiles while media covers the news of when and what North Korea would launch. On 4th the government mistakenly announced that the projectile was launched. It was a kind of fuss.

Finally the projectile did not bring physical damages on the Japanese land and property. But there are still people who are in fuss.

According to today's Tokyo Shinbun newspaper, Defense Minister Hamada mentioned at House of Councillors' National Security Committee held yesterday that he would start to study about having an early-warning satellite. The same newspaper reported that the 7 members of "Study Group for Strengthening Deterrence against North Korea", found by a member of House of Councillor, Yamamoto Ichita, held first meeting yesterday.

Sankei Shinbun on 6 April reported Yamamoto's comment:

"Even if Japan had an ability to attack enemy's places, it would not breach the constitution, as long as it is (within) the right of self-defense. Serious discussions on such abilities and conditions will beef up the deterrence."

I checked his blog and he wrote like this:

I tell you beforehand that the group is not a gathering of politicians, who have "extreme thoughts", such as "Attack North Korea!" (laugh). This group is for studying "a strategy discussing without fuss" that "how Japan should strengthening the ability of deterrence" against "the threats of North Korea", which has increased by the launch of the missile this time.

I am worry what the group is going to propose and what actions would be taken by the government. But, the group are scheduled to provide its suggestions maybe within a month, so we will be able to see what kind of "strategies discussing without fuss" soon.

This time I did not hear the news what Japan's Information Gathering Satellite (IGS) are doing during the projectile launch fuss last week. Japan has 4 IGS since 2003. It spent 250 billion yen or 2.5 billion US dollar for the whole IGS project. The development of IGS was decided just a couple of months after Taepodong-1 missile launched in August 1998. At that time, unlike this time, North Korea did not announce anything about the launch, and the missile flew over the Japan.

So it is again that North Korea stirs Japan, especially politicians and media, and then a same kind of discussion arose. I do not like politicians taking such advantege of the fuss.

continue to part 2...

>NI Japan