Japan's Attempt to Possess Nuclear-Powered Submarine Is Aimed Only at Going Nuclear: Int'l Security Analyst

Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- Pak Ju Won, an international security analyst, released the following article "Japan's attempt to possess a nuclear-powered submarine is aimed only at going nuclear":

The military moves of Japan's present right-wing conservative regime, which put the successive Japanese regimes into the shade, have almost reached the dangerous level. Against this backdrop, the possession of a nuclear-powered submarine is being openly debated in the archipelago, giving rise to a concern among the international community.

Shortly ago, the Japanese prime minister said at a full-dress session of the House of Representatives that nothing is decided at present on dealing with the new power as regards the acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine, adding that she would further discuss the issue of the defence capability with a view to revising the three documents on security within this year on the basis of the change in the security environment.

Earlier, the Japanese defense minister said on several occasions that he would not rule out all options but consider them, that the possession of nuclear weapons and a nuclear-powered submarine should not be ruled out in connection with the revision of the said three documents, and that it should be discussed without taboo.

In order to frame a reactionary security policy, Japan uses ministers to describe it as "one of the options" and sound the public opinion on it at home and abroad and then encourages the discussion of it through so-called expert panels to hastily deliberate and decide on it. It is a trite and cunning policy-making method peculiar to Japan.

In September last year, the expert panel under the Defense Ministry proposed to the government the review of the possession of a submarine with "the power of the next generation". The Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Restoration Party reflected the same purport in their major policy agreement consisting of 12 articles when they formed a coalition government in October. And the chief cabinet secretary and defense minister said that all the options will not be ruled out. All the facts go to prove the above-said method.

The present ruling quarters of Japan are openly crying out for the possession of a nuclear-powered submarine after throwing away even the ambiguous expression "the power of the next generation". Lurking behind it is a sinister intention to create public opinion of favoring stipulating the issue in the said three documents to be revised in the end of this year.

It is the true intention of the Japanese neo-militarist force to formalize the possession of nuclear-powered submarines and secure a stepping-stone to the possession of nuclear weapons in the long-run.

It is a common understanding of the international community that Japan, which started the research and development of nuclear weapons in strict secrecy during World War II, has secretly laid foundations for acquiring the ability to manufacture nuclear weapons at any time since its defeat, and what remains to be done is its political decision only.

A barrier to that political decision is the domestic "basic law on atomic power," which stipulates that research, development and usage of nuclear energy should be limited to peaceful purposes, and deep-rooted negative opinion of the Japanese people who suffered nuclear calamities for the first time in the world.

Japan has removed the shackles put on it, a war criminal state, one by one by avoiding public criticism with such a trick as terming the "capability for attacking enemy base" and "three principles of arms export" the "capability for counterattack" and "three principles of defense equipment transfer". Worse still, the Japanese neo-militarists are working hard to revise the "Pacifist Constitution" banning it from having war capabilities. So it is easy for them to throw away the signboard of "peaceful use of atomic power".

Nowadays the Japanese rulers are making a fuss about "ever-worsening surrounding security environment." This is nothing but a petty trick to systematically pull down the institutional and legal barriers to building up aggression forces and cross the threshold for the building of nuclear-armed forces by creating extreme security unrest among the public and hyping the need to "bolster up independent deterrence".

What should not be overlooked is that the U.S., which is shifting the security burden onto its allies as much as possible to maintain its hegemony that is getting more and more vulnerable, has given the green light to Japan's possession of nuclear-powered submarines in order to use the Japanese reactionaries as shock brigades for implementing its hegemonic strategy.

When interviewed by Japanese media in Hawaii, a U.S. naval dignitary asserted that as Japan has nuclear power plants, it has the development technology serving as a foundation for building nuclear-powered submarines. This hints that the U.S. seeks to connive at and patronize Japan's moves for arming itself with nuclear weapons.

There is no guarantee that Japan will not launch a preemptive nuclear attack at any time if it has access to a nuclear-powered submarine with an operational range far beyond the coastal waters of the archipelago under the patronage of the U.S., in the context that it has long regarded surprise strike and preemptive attack as its exclusive tactics and main war method.

Japan is pursuing the possession of a nuclear-powered submarine, not content with its frantic effort for developing and deploying various ultra-modern attack weapons, having the neighboring countries within their striking range, after discarding the veil of "exclusive defense." Such neo-militarist moves of Japan and the U.S. backstage manipulation have become a fundamental factor that causes military imbalance and creates a new structure of fierce conflict in the region.

The situation proves how just the DPRK, which has ceaselessly bolstered up its national power, was when it opted for doing so of its own accord to defend the national sovereignty and ensure regional and global security. It also highlights the need to thoroughly deter the hostile forces' malicious attempts and moves at their initial stages by dint of the absolutely reliable deterrent for self-defence.

Japan's scheme to have access to a nuclear-powered submarine, aimed at arming itself with nuclear weapons, will surely bring disaster to the archipelago. -0-