Kerry says U.S. will protect Japan from N Korean threats

Kerry's statement carries no special meaning.

Poor Kerry! I bet he is wishing he was still a senator. He has a really difficult job dealing with the wierdest people on the planet!

Considering that Japan is not allowed to have a deployable force, I would only guess that the US would be the one who goes invade North Korea in Japan's stead since that's the agreement in the treaty dating back to WW2.

I see Kerry visited Zojoji temple. He has now been delivered from greed, anger and stupidity! Yea!

Japan appears from a distance like a little boy hiding behind the US giant for protection from a bully. What is one day the giant turns against you?

I'd be happy if I'd be protected against Fukushima rads!

kerry is the secretary of state. he follows Obama lines. Hes a great man. far more successful than any of us will ever be. I just want to see if our deterrence system really works against dprk fireworks

What is one day the giant turns against you?

Yeah, interesting question. There's a chance for that in the future, in my honest opinion. I know I'll get many negative reactions, specially by American users, but only remember that an alliance is never for ever, and every country works mainly for its own interests.

Yes our had earned tax dollars protecting the rest of the world as usual....

We should just stay home and use the money on our own needy people here in the USA...., Let the Okinawans protect Japan!!

Pretty sure Japan could take care of itself if "allowed" to do so. Japan is a technological giant with money and sophisticated industrial complex. Japan should take care of itself a little more and not rely on others for that protection. If the poster above is any indicator of how people feel then it would be prudent for Japan to honestly rewrite article nine and take care of itself. North Korea would not be a threat if Japan were to go the road to self sufficiency. I hope one day it does.

kdt3272 I did my time in the Self Defense Force. Japan can protect itself from the starving bankrupt country of North Korea! FPSRussia, Japan has a Self Defense Force that can protect Japan. The Americans are in Japan for reasons other than protecting Japan.

@FPSRussia Perhaps they should, but who knows what's going to happen if we let them do that. Maybe these recent island territorial conflicts will escalate further and result in total arms race between the Asian countries.

Japan can defend itself from DPRK. Those aegis are Japanese.

If Japan will be permitted and start to build her own military arsenal, all the missile and bullets will come in colorful and in cute design such as "Hello kitty" or any manga character and at least equipped with rabbit or cat ear to make looks "kawaii". Can't imagine how they will design her kawaii aircraft carrier as well..

Yuri & Kiyoshi. yes they can defend themselves with the American made PAC-III, American designed Aegis ships, the American satellites, and generally the American weaponry they bought.

As far as military numbers go the Japanese can defend themselves but would have real problems if it somehow became a situation that required ground forces naval, and air superiority, Japan is lacking seriously in those areas, something America is really good at is tested with and can deploy quickly.

I really hope the day doesn't come when America needs to defend Japan but if and when it does you will be glad we were here.

Mathew simon. Japan can obliterate DPRK. manufacturing weapons is easy. If war ignites. HOw much time until Japan can build offensive weapons?Money is everything this days. something that DPRK lacks.

Money is everything? Tell that to a few 1000lbs bomb coming to the city near you!

kiyoshi you are kidding yourself if you believe that

Money is everything this days. something that DPRK lacks.

kiyoshi you are kidding yourself if you believe that

Well, it may not be everything, but it's pretty darned important.

If the DPRK launches, say, it's one or two nukes and they sputter into the sea, as many of their missiles historically have tended to do, then having the financial and material resources to put together more, and quickly, in the heat of war is something they couldn't readily do. And barring intervention from China, the same applies to conventional weapons. An artillery battery destroyed is one not likely to be replaced in time to make a difference.

For countries like Japan, South Korea, and the US, there are no such concerns. That spooky, insidious military industrial complex that we so often heard about? It would kick in in full force, supplying the DPRK's opponents with all the hardware they needed to get the job done. The DPRK, on the other hand, has no such complex to rely upon. Syria and Iran, their most significant trading partners besides China, would be all but negated as a result of comprehensive blockades around the Korean Peninsula.

And Japan? It's widely accepted among those concerned with nuclear proliferation that Japan, if pressed, could throw together a nuke with no assistance whatsoever from allies in a year or less.

Japan possesses enough plutonium for some 700 nuclear warheads and has amply demonstrated the ability to develop reliable ballistic missile technologies, thanks to a highly advanced and sophisticated space program.

Now imagine if they had assistance to build those nukes.

None of this would be possible without cold, hard cash, something the DPRK sorely lacks.

Yes, North Korea can start a war...but North Korea cannot sustain a war beyond three days. Most of its soldiers aren't even armed, because the economy can't afford to put a rifle in every soldier's hands. That's not a war, little Kim. That's a fart.

North Korea can stink up the place with a few nuclear bombs and with some missile strikes, but after that it's all a matter of how many bullets your soldiers have in their guns. And, after three days of their supply lines being disrupted, these soldiers will give up their rifles for a bowl of rice.

Yeah, North Korea is threatening to fart in the wind...and we'll be required to destroy those nuclear weapons right where they are -- on site -- not over Seoul or Guam or Tokyo. We're going to destroy North Korea's nuclear capabilities right where they are, adjacent to China. We have no choice. You understand this, don't you? It's either little Kim or us. We say it's him. It's Kim who's going to go down.

Unfortunately for China, those nuclear clouds will be drifting in from North Korea and down every street and avenue of Beijing's already over-polluted city-scape.

Duh! Thanks for telling us, "Mr. Obvious."

Yuri: "kdt3272 I did my time in the Self Defense Force. Japan can protect itself from the starving bankrupt country of North Korea! FPSRussia, Japan has a Self Defense Force that can protect Japan. The Americans are in Japan for reasons other than protecting Japan."

Ah, so now it's "Japan" and not just Okinawa vs. Japan, eh? The SDF could not protect itself from its own troubles, let alone another nation attacking Japan. Second, the SDF can only do what it does thanks to the US. If you doubt that, let me ask you this: what missile batteries are being deployed around Japan?

Kerry says U.S. will protect Japan from N Korean threats

I wonder if this offer would extend to every other asian neighbour that Japan has managed to p^off over the last few years. China, Russia, South Korea, just to name a few.

Relax. The only people who would possibly forgive any attack by the DPRK are the South Koreans. And Kim knows full well that any kind of nuke attack would be unforgivable. At the moment, the DPRK antics serve China's interests quite well, because it distracts Tokyo from the SENKAKU Islands. If the DPRK launches a missile test, China will be watching Japan's response very closely.

some14some: Kerry's statement carries no special meaning.

He's the Secretary of State appointed by the President of the United States and was speaking in regard to The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, I'd say it carries a lot of special meaning.

The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan was signed between the United States and Japan in Washington, D.C. on January 19, 1960. The treaty established that any attack against Japan or the United States perpetrated within Japanese territorial administration would be dangerous to the respective countries' own peace and safety. It requires both countries to act to meet the common danger.

Karry is making Kim laughing loud. If its not on the paper I would be very careful of what Karry is promising.

25psot,

It's spelled, "Kerry", not "Karry."

**Ravi Tanduk

Japan appears from a distance like a little boy hiding behind the US giant for protection from a bully.**

Have you ever considered the geopolitical situation around Far East? Also how Japan tries to act under the article 9 which is composed by the US.Your saying gave me an impression that you have no consideration about those. Abe administration has started to discuss to change the constitution of Japan according to today's circumstance.

25psot: If its not on the paper I would be very careful of what Karry is promising.

Well, it's on this little thing called a treaty. I'm sure someone remembered to write that down way back in 1960 when it was signed. Learning some history and spelling correctly would go a way towards making your point more salient. His name is Kerry, as is clearly indicated in the headline and story - at least 10 times.