Japan 'should develop nuclear weapons to defend itself'

[below_freezing]

If Japan gets nuclear weapons, China sweats for the first 10 years before they get ICBMs, and then US sweats for the next 100 after they get ICBMs.

Even if Japan seriously wanted to get nuclear weapons remember what happened to a certain "6th greatest air force in the world" Middle Eastern country dependent on imported aircraft and its nuclear reactor. Japan also imports almost all of its aircraft.

 

[logic]

In my opinion every country in the world that do not want to end up like Afghanistan and Iraq must have nukes.

 

[gambit]

In my opinion every country in the world that do not want to end up like Afghanistan and Iraq must have nukes.

And Kuwait. Funny how that country and situation are always conveniently 'forgot'...

 

[Dalai Lama]

I think you better talk to your fellow countrymen about it. I don't care If Indians help them with it or not. It makes no difference to me since the end result would only hurt both India and Japan

Yes, because my fellow countrymen on this forum engineer India's foriegn policy right?

 

[Dalai Lama]

If India want to follow the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Then it must give up its nuclear weapons. If by develop nuclear weapon, India is not violating the treaty, why would it care to follow the treaty when it spread nuclear weapon around?

Erm, how exactly did "India spread the nuclear weapon around?"

 

[chinapakistan]

I think this is the only field where we can help Japan

Japanese dont need your help, they can easily make nuke if they want. But US will not allow that happens. US is the country which most fear that japane develop nuke, not china.

 

[Obambam]

Yes, because my fellow countrymen on this forum engineer India's foriegn policy right?

He may or he may not, but that's not the point. The point is, people like him make India look bad

 

[Hafizzz]

Erm, how exactly did "India spread the nuclear weapon around?"

Export Firm Caught Trying to Send Nuclear Material to Iran
Export Firm Caught Trying to Send Nuclear Material to Iran

India’s Nuclear proliferation
India

 

[Dalai Lama]

Export Firm Caught Trying to Send Nuclear Material to Iran
Export Firm Caught Trying to Send Nuclear Material to Iran

India�s Nuclear proliferation
India

Yeah, I read that. Let me highlight some parts for you that you conveniently ignored.

Export Firm Caught Trying to Send Nuclear Material to Iran

Pranati Mehra/TNN

Mumbai, Apr 22: A UN Security Council resolution prohibits the export of nuclear-grade graphite, a key material needed for the manufacture of a nuclear bomb, to Iran. A Mumbai-based export firm was allegedly caught doing precisely that by an alert customs officer in October 2007.

It was issued a showcause notice by the customs department last week for alleged violation of the Customs Act and the foreign trade policy.

The export consignment of Nickunj Eximp Enterprises, containing 1,150 kg of graphite, was apprehended by the official who became suspicious of the cylindrical shape of the goods. The consignment, stopped at the air cargo complex (ACC), was on its way to Ward Commercial Company, a private firm in Tehran.

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre experts, who were asked to take samples, confirmed that it was nuclear-grade graphite. One more consignment of graphite of Nickunj Eximp headed for Dubai was stopped after the ACC action.


Firm had got N-graphite from local dealers

Customs officials told The Times Of India that Nickunj Eximp Enterprises Pvt Ltd authorities, when questioned, said the graphite was procured from local dealers. When customs officials followed the trail, they apparently found that it was imported at Rs 50 per kg from China and was being exported to Iran at Rs 2,000 a kg.

Indian intelligence agencies and the department of atomic energy met customs officials after the seizure. DAE gives licences for export of graphite but export to or import from Iran of nuclear-grade graphite is prohibited. The directorate of revenue intelligence is now monitoring all exports of graphite.

According to officials, when asked by customs investigators how he had matched the specifications of the graphite he bought with that quoted by Ward Commercial Company, Nickunj Eximp director Nickunj Shah replied that he had bought the consignment from local dealers in good faith. He added that he was unaware of the commerce ministry�s notification of September 7, 2007, listing goods banned from being exported to Iran, before he filed the shipping bill for his consignment.

Shah is also a supplier of EDM (electric discharge machine) wires and graphite parts to BARC. His company sells explosive and narcotic detectors to police agencies and army outfits in India. When contacted by TOI , he refused to talk on a matter pending before the commissioner of customs and also threatened legal action if TOI wrote about the case.

So in reality what happened was a private firm was trying to make a quick buck by exporting nuclear grade graphite to a private firm in Tehran. There's no evidence of either Delhi or Tehran being involved.

Furthermore, this doesn't constitute as a violation of the non-profileration treaty (which India isn't actually a signatory of). However it was a violation of the Customs Act and the foreign trade policy. (as it said in the article) by a private firm from both countries.

EDIT: Funny how you're getting me to talk about India when this thread about Japan. (sigh) I should just stick to my signature and ignore you.

 

[Tigershark]

Some of Mr. Ishihara's comments do not make any sense.

"If Japan had had nuclear (weapons), there would not have been any (Chinese encroachment) on the Senkakus," he said. "And North Korea would not have abducted our citizens."

Even if Japan had nukes, China would not let it annex Chinese territory unopposed, and North Korea has been known to bluster nuclear armed countries with impunity.


Anyway, as long as the US remains the dominant world power, the Japanese will be content to let others spend money for its defense. Even if more Asian countries develop nuclear weapons, the US will always stop Japan from developing its own, and throw in a few ABMs to mollify the Japanese public.

 

[Vassnti]

moot point they have them and have had for a while, the loop hole being they do not have an assembled nuclear weapon.

This is of course subject to change with out notice.

 

[HongWu]

This is a very calculated move by Ishihara. Japan is unhappy with the Obama administration because it has not robustly supported Japan's territorial claims against China, South Korea and Russia. Japanese militant right wing has become so big and powerful that it making a move to dominate Japanese politics once again.

Their plan: Bet that the US would initially oppose a fully militarized Japan but, once Japan demonstrates its determination to fully militarize, reluctantly accept a fait accompli and work together to contain China and Russia.

IMHO this kind of move could very well backfire. What happens if Japan acts up against its "ally" and this trigger others in a similar position like Israel, UK and Australia to also demand better terms or more independence from their alliance with the US? Then US prestige will decline very significantly. And if at the same time you had hyperinflation in the US then the US will look very similar to the post-WW2 British Empire. This empire could very well fall apart suddenly, especially if there is political unrest and a split between red and blue states similar to the North / South split in the American Civil War.

If US influence across the Pacific declines, then Japan would be quite isolated in East Asia. It can choose to continue this standoff against China and Russia, in which case it eventually turns into an island version of North Korea run by Japanese right wing. Or it can accept a junior status and have peace with East Asian countries including China. It would become an isolated island society wracked by divisive politics -- like a bigger version of Taiwan. Domestic unrest would finally undermine Japan's ability to enforce its claims to disputed territory and waters. Ryukyus for instance would declare independence.

 

[zheng]

If let Japan have the nuclear weapon, what was bad luck was the US, China is not afraid Japan to have the nuclear weapon! Japan has the nuclear weapon to meet the war!

 

[below_freezing]

In nuclear weapons, there are a multitude of technologies that are essential to the manufacture and delivery of nuclear weapons but completely useless elsewhere such as x-ray mirrors, neutron lenses and miniaturized solid fuel rockets. In addition, there are significant systems engineering tasks such as warhead miniaturization. If Japan started work on nuclear weapons today, I'd give it 10 years before they have a working warhead and another 5 years before they had a IRBM.

 

[IND151]

I think Bangladesh, Nepal , Bhutan, Burma and Sri Lanka should also develop nukes to balance India's ever growing Nuke arsenal and military might.

do you have some idea how much costly and challenging it is to develop nukes? Bangladesh, Nepal , Bhutan, Burma and Sri Lanka neither hv money nor skills required to develop nukes. and why they need nukes? to balance India's ever growing Nuke arsenal and military might? they hv already more problems like insurgency and India is not their enemy.