Legislators Call on Obama to Adopt 'Sole Purpose'

204 Japanese Legislators Call on President Obama to Adopt 'Sole Purpose' Doctrine
February 19, 2010

PNND Japanese member Hideo Hiraoka and 203 other Japanese legislators sent a letter today to US President Obama (copied to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and key leaders in the US Congress) with regard to the US Nuclear Posture Review and the forthcoming NPT Review Conference.

The letter (attached), which was also delivered by a delegation of Japanese legislators to the US ambassador to Japan John V. Roos, supports the US objective to achieve a world without nuclear weapons as outlined in Obama's April 2009 Prague speech, encourages the US and Russia to conclude negotiations on stockpile reductions, and calls on the US to adopt as a first step a 'sole purpose' policy, i.e. that U.S. nuclear weapons would only be for deterrence against the threat or use of nuclear weapons from other nuclear-armed States. This would include assurances that nuclear weapons would not be threatened or used against non-nuclear States. The letter also asserts that Japan will not seek the road toward possession of nuclear weapons if the U.S. adopts such a policy.

Endorsers of the letter include leading members of all political parties such as Yoriko Kawaguchi (LDP - Co-chair of the International Commission on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament and a former Foreign Minister), Taro Kono (LDP - Former Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee), Senator Tadashi Inuzuka (DPJ from Nagasaki), Mizuho Fukushima (SDP) and Masao Akamatsu (Komei-to).

On February 9, Japanese Prime Minister Hatoyama commented favourably in the Diet (Japanese Parliament) on Hiraoka’s initiative, indicating that it was in accordance with his government’s commitment to maintaining the Japanese three non-nuclear principles and his support for nuclear disarmament.

In addition, Hiraoka's initiative reinforces some of the key ideas in a letter sent by Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada (also a PNND member) to Hillary Clinton in December 2009. In the letter (attached below) Okada reaffirmed the importance of the Japan-US Security Treaty which includes extended nuclear deterrence, but distanced himself from aspects of the previous Japanese administration’s nuclear policy.

In particular, Okada expressed concerns that Japanese officials may have lobbied the US not to reduce its nuclear arsenal – a position which “would clearly be at variance with my views, which are in favor of nuclear disarmament” (unofficial English translation) . Okada’s letter also supported the idea that the role of nuclear weapons be restricted to deterrence of the use of nuclear weapons, and that the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon state members of the NPT be banned.

See also Japan and NATO Are Ready for the U.S. to Reduce Nuclear Weapons, Alyn Ware, Huffington Post.

Provisional translation of Foreign Minister Okada’s letter to Hillary Clinton
Provided by the office of Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada

December 24, 2009

Hillary Rodham Clinton
United States Secretary of State

Excellency,

I would like to take this opportunity to share with you my basic thoughts on the Nuclear Policy Review currently being undertaken by your government.

It goes without saying that the Japan-US Security Treaty forms the backbone of Japan’s security. The Government of Japan (GOJ) fully recognizes the reality that it depends on the extended deterrence of the United States including nuclear deterrence and that the credibility of the deterrence must be backed by sufficient capability.

At the same time, the GOJ highly regards the fact that the United States stands at the forefront of global nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons, as exemplified by President Obama’s call for “a world without nuclear weapons”. Japan intends to work alongside the United States in striving towards the realization of this supreme goal.

Thus, while the GOJ places its trust and importance on the extended deterrence of the United States, it does not call for policy of the United States to contradict the goal of “a world without nuclear weapons”.

It has been reported in some parts of the Japanese media that, during the drafting stages of the Report by the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States published in May, Japanese diplomatic authorities had requested to the US side that the number of nuclear weapons not be decreased, or more specifically, expressed its opposition to the retirement of TLAM/N, or suggested that the US should possess RNEP.

However, the GOJ is not in a position to make a judgement on the desirability of individual weapon systems of the US. Thus, my understanding is that, in course of the exchange of views with the US side including the said Commission, while this was during the time of the previous Japanese Administration, the GOJ has never expressed its views on whether the US should or should not possess specific weapon systems such as TLAM/N and RNEP. Even if such a statement had in fact been made, that would clearly differ with my view to strive for nuclear disarmament.

At the same time, the GOJ continues to wish for explanation from the US side on policy regarding the extended deterrence of the United States, including the effects on extended deterrence toward Japan and measures to offset such effects should TLAM/N be retired.

As you may already be aware, the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, which was established as a joint initiative of Japan and Australia, published its report on December 15. The report includes recommendations such as the following; all nuclear-armed states should retain nuclear weapons solely for purposes of deterring others from using such weapons; the use of nuclear weapons towards non-nuclear weapon states which are parties to the NPT should be prohibited. I have a keen interest in these recommendations as a first step toward “a world without nuclear weapons”. While it may not be possible to realize these immediately, I would like to have, between the two governments, further discussion on the possibility of adopting such measures in present or future policy.

Yours truly,

Katsuya Okada
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan

ENDS

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