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  Molenir at 09:45 AM JST - 8th February

  Hey, why not send em south to pay a visit to the Sea Shepard Terrorist group. I mean as long as you're suppressing piracy...

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  OssanAmerica at 10:06 AM JST - 8th February

  ‘‘The argument that the right of belligerency is only denied if it is between states and is recognized if it is against pirates or terrorists is wrong,’’ Koketsu said. ‘‘Such an interpretation is arbitrary and expedient.’’

  This Mr Koketsu has his brain in the wrong part of his anatomy. No nation on this planet grants pirates, a maritime criminal organization, the rights and recognition of a sovereign state.

  "The antiwar passage in the supreme law, the Yamaguchi University professor said, ‘‘should be taken to mean that the state will choose not to settle an issue or matter by means of weapons, or to put it differently, by means of violence, and will instead contemplate a different option.’’

  Yes Mr Koketsu but that's not how the Article reads, is it? How it "should mean" is all in your head.

  "‘‘The most effective measure against pirates, I believe, is to support Somalia both diplomatically and economically,’’ said Koketsu."

  Good, Give them aid money so they can buy more weapons and get even more succesful at hijacking ships.

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  skyguym42 at 10:36 AM JST - 8th February

  I'm going to laugh when we see the pirates on tv waving from their newly captured SDF ship. These clowns will wait until they are 50 meters away before frantically calling Tokyo for instructions and trying to find their checklist for what to do if threatened. By the time they have set the time for the first committee to choose the official paper size for the response committee opening ceremony, they'll be in Somalia in the pirate detetention hotel....and the Somalis will probably trick them into smoking weed!

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  borscht at 10:47 AM JST - 8th February

  According to Metropolis magazine's The Small Print, there have been five hijackings off the coast of Africa and five off the coast of Southeast Asian countries (plus two off the coast of India.) When will the MSDF send ships to Southeast Asia, too?

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  skyguym42 at 10:59 AM JST - 8th February

  They will never go to SE Asia, it's not a news story. The only reason MSDF is going to Somalia is that Somali pirates are in the news and media reports putting pressure on Tokyo to "do something". But "doing things" is not a strength of modern Japan in either foreign or domestic policy. It requires taking risks, a clear goal and a willingness to try something new, three things that are extinct here.

  So they will send them, but with an implicit mandate (backed up by explicit rules of engagement) to avoid any contact with pirates. The above post was a joke. The MSDF will run like hell from any unidentified ship they see, ignore any calls for help, and will come back in a few months having accomplished what they were told to:nothing.

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  teck at 11:35 AM JST - 8th February

  Or it could be part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's plan to slowly grow back to its former glory, under the name of the JMSDF. To slowly extend its area and scope of operations, until eventually Article 9 of the constitution means nothing. After all, inside the Chief of Maritime Staff's safe is a document written just after WW2 detailing how to rebuild the navy...

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  skyguym42 at 11:49 AM JST - 8th February

  That would require a cultural confidence the Japanese no longer have.

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  zhazam05 at 01:46 PM JST - 8th February

  Let theRusskies Blow the "Big Bad Pirates " into submission! God only knows they love Playing "Lord of the Seas"when faced with unarmedjapanese fishermen Mr. Aso Keep your forces HOME!!!

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  presto345 at 04:38 PM JST - 8th February

  Stop the sardonic, idiotic responses. Please. I doubt anyone enjoys them, except the brains, rather lack of them, that contributed them. These international waters are used by many nations and it is to the benefit of these nations and also their responsibility to keep them safe. Japan can offer assistance here.

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  kanadamanada at 07:29 PM JST - 8th February

  This is how policy change is enacted. I anticipate some "crisis", real or imagined, which will allow MSDF and the LDP to push through their long-term goal of rewriting the whole constitution and not just article 9. The wolf is at the door.

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  OssanAmerica at 12:40 AM JST - 9th February

  This is how policy change is enacted. I anticipate some "crisis", real >or imagined, which will allow MSDF and the LDP to push through their >long-term goal of rewriting the whole constitution and not just article >9. The wolf is at the door.

  Freaking about time! Japan needs to grow up and share the burden of security not only in Asia but globally. Today's deployment of military forces aren't all confined to disputes between sovereign states. So all pro-peace (read: keep crapping on the US while being totally defended by them) Japanese need to wake up to reality. And this starts from the government downwards. Trash article 9.

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  geboren1900 at 02:48 AM JST - 9th February

  anyone can provide pictures of what kind of ships the japanese would use?

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  OssanAmerica at 07:20 AM JST - 9th February

  Photos are here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,487630,00.html

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  soldave at 09:06 AM JST - 9th February

  skyguym42 - got to agree with you. I can easily see it happening. Either that or they are going to hit another friendly ship out there or something.

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  Faderkinta at 04:53 PM JST - 9th February

  "Atsushi Koketsu, an expert on modern Japanese political history" can't see the pirates at the door.

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