Japan May Amend Pacifist Constitution To Allow Nukes To Protect Against North Korea

North Korea’s nuclear weapons has ignited a debate in Japan about allowing nuclear weapons by amending its pacifist Constitution as a deterrent to an attack from nuclear-armed North Korea  

Shoichi Nakagawa, former finance minister, said Japan should examine the possibility of obtaining nuclear weapons to defending itself from potential attacks by North Korea and its growing arsenal of ballistic missiles that could be armed with nuclear warheads.

“North Korea has taken a step toward a system whereby it can shoot without prior notice. We have to discuss countermeasures,” Kyodo News quoted him as saying.

“It is common sense worldwide that in a purely military sense it is nuclear that can counteract nuclear,” said Nakagawa, who has long called for debate on whether Japan should go nuclear.

In addition, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Obama should put North Korea back on its list of state sponsors of terrorism and impose tougher sanctions.

“North Korea has a history of challenging the world,” Abe said. “Its behavior is easy to predict. We have to respond with strong sanctions.”