Japan considered nuclear arms

[thomas]

Defense Agency concluded in '95 that nuclear arms aren't worth it

The Defense Agency compiled a report in 1995 that said there would be no merit to Japan developing nuclear weapons, it was learned Thursday. According to government sources, the report said Japan would suffer huge political and economic costs if it had a nuclear arsenal, because of loss of trust from neighboring states and erosion to the credibility of the Japan-U.S. alliance. The alliance is based on the premise that Japan is protected under the U.S. nuclear umbrella.

Japan getting the bomb could also trigger the destruction of the nuclear nonproliferation regime and upset the balance of power in Asia, it said. Japan's neighbors might also interpret it as an act to seek a more independent defense posture, it added. The Defense Agency compiled the document following growing concerns in other parts of Asia that Japan could become a nuclear power in the wake of North Korea's suspected 1993-1994 nuclear weapons development, the sources said.

=> http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20030221a3.htm

Japan debated nuke arsenal

Amid warnings of a nuclear arms race in East Asia, Japan has revealed it considered developing its own atomic arsenal in 1995 to counter the threat of a nuclear-armed North Korea.

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