Japanese aircrafts carrier? No... destroyer!

In spite of not being allowed to build carrier, Japan
just commissioned its first aircraft carrier since
World War II. Quotes:


The new, helicopter carrying destroyer, the Hyuga, is
a 610 foot long, 18,000 ton warship that operates up
to 11 (mostly SH-60) helicopters from a full length
flight deck.

"Although called a destroyer, it very much looks like
an aircraft carrier. While its primary function is
anti-submarine warfare, the Hyuga will also give Japan
its first real power projection capability since 1945.
The Hyuga is the largest warship built in Japan since
World War II.

The Japanese constitution forbids it to have aircraft
carriers, which is the main reason it is called a
destroyer. That, and the desire to not make the
neighbors anxious. East Asian nations still have bad
memories about the last time Japan had lots of
aircraft carriers. The Hyuga also has 16 Mk41 VLS
(Vertical Launch System) cells for anti-aircraft and
anti-ship missiles.

There are also two 20mm Phalanx anti-missile cannon
and two triple 12.75-inch torpedo mounts. There is a
crew of 350 and a top speed of about 60 kilometers.
Vertical takeoff jets like the Harrier and F-35B could
also operate from the Hyuga. A second Hyuga is under
construction and a third is planned.

The last Japanese warship to be called the Hyuga was a
World War II battleship that entered service in 1918,
and was converted to a hybrid battleship/aircraft
carrier in 1943. The new Hyuga will be used for
peacekeeping missions as well, and for that role its
many helicopters will be most useful."

According to a blogger, "The last time the Japanese
Navy sailed the Hyuga, it was a battleship turned into
an aircraft carrier and was sunk in June 1945 off the
island of Kure by Curtiss Helldivers of VB-87 flying
from USS Ticonderoga."

"Ucroa", la top-modèle japonaise qui valait 3 millions de $

Nouvelle star japonaise des films de science-fiction?
Actrice Robotcop pour faire frémir les audiences? Une
nouvelle Yoko Ono venue droit de la BD à présent en
chair et en os?


Mademoiselle Ucroa

Ucroa est japonaise, elle mesure 1,58 mètre, pèse 43
kilogrammes. Brune, coupe au carré bien nette, la
taille d'une japonaise comme des millions d'autres
d'une vingtaine d'années. Elle a invité les
journalistes lundi à Tsukuba, dans la banlieue de
Tokyo. Ambition? Devenir une top-modèle. Son
cachet? 3 millions de dollars!

Cette jeune dame est... un robot-humanoïde. Elle
sait être gracieuse, sourire et parler.

Elle est la première représentante de la quatrième
génération de plates-formes humanoïdes de recherche
conçues par l'équipe de roboticiens de l'Institut des
technologies industrielles avancées. L'AIST a investi
200 millions de yens (1,6 million d'euros) et passé
trois ans à concevoir cette créature à visage humain
qui fera ses premiers pas prochainement sur les
podiums des défilés de mode.

Le directeur de ce programme, Shuji Kajida: "Notre
projet était de concevoir un être qui ait une
apparence proche de l'humain, remue de la même façon
et puisse interagir avec lui; elle est vêtue d'une
combinaison métallique pour signifier qu'elle est d'un
autre type et éviter un sentiment de malaise que
susciterait une trop grande ressemblance avec une
femme".

La demoiselle a un joli minois, n'a pas une carrure de
boxeur, sa poitrine est plus proéminente, elle est
plus mince et marche plus élégamment.

Shuji Kajida: "Nous avons analysé la déambulation d'un
mannequin pour créer les différentes postures. Elle
parle la même langue que les Japonais, sait se
présenter et accepte de répondre à quelques questions
comme quel est ton nom? Combien pèses-tu? Cette
humanoïde compte 30 articulations, dont ses mains avec
quatre et son visage, huit: paupières, mâchoires
inférieure et supérieure, yeux".

Les chercheurs de l'AIST, affirment vouloir en faire
un top-model reine des défilés de prêt-à-porter, mais
la destinent dans un premier temps au secteur du
divertissement. Leur souhait est de lui confier la
tâche moins gratifiante de tester des machines de
sport et autres appareils pour le compte des humains.


Evolution...

Les Japonais, machos dit-on, poussés par les pouvoirs
publics, attendent-ils des robots, y compris des
femmes, qu'ils fassent à leur place ce qui est
pénible, sale, dangereux ou ingrat? Le Japon est une
société vieillissante qui comptera de moins en moins
de personnes actives préférant confier leurs travaux à
des robots qu'à des personnels humains étrangers en
mal d'emploi...

Japan fleet to combat pirate-infested waters

From "international peace cooperation activities" as
conducted in Cambodia or Africa in the 90's to near
war scenario and military operations today. Japan
stretches the Fundamental Law to fit military options.
One step to enforce the fundamental mission of the
JSDF means that for the first time in its history the
JSDF's core purpose necessarily involves missions
outside of Japan.



Japan's coast guard officials capture men playing a
role of pirates, kneeling down in front, during an
anti-piracy exercise off port of Kure, Hiroshima,
western Japan (February 2009)

Guarantee free SLOC & oil imports to Japan:

The JMSDF special units such as the SBU and Coast
Guards officers will be part of the forces sent to
combat pirates in the Horn of Africa by Japan. First
policing action abroad since World War II for Japan's
Self-Defense Forces, with the dispatch of Maritime
Self-Defense Force destroyers on an anti-piracy mission
off the coast of Somalia, whose major missions
overseas have so far been largely rear-area support,
such as refueling, transportation and reconstruction
missions.


Pirates speed boats

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and
the Japanese government face legal problems on how to
handle attacks by pirates against ships that either
have Japanese personnel, cargo or are under foreign
control instead of being under Japanese control as
current Constitution Article 9 regulations would hamper
their actions when deployed to Somalia.


The Sazanami a Takanami class destroyer with a Mk-48
Vertical Launch System.

On February 4, 2009, the JMSDF sent a fact-finding
mission led by Gen Nakatani to the horn of Africa
region prior to the deployment of the Murasame-class
destroyer JDS DD-106 Samidare and the Takanami-class
destroyer JDS DD-113 Sazanami to the coast of Somalia.
Both JMSDF vessels are units of the 8th Escort
Division of the 4th Escort Flotilla based in Kure,
Hiroshima Prefecture.

Order based on the law's Article 82, which stipulates
that the SDF may take necessary actions at sea to
safeguard Japanese lives and property in situations
that exceed the capacity of the Japan Coast Guard.
Simultaneously a bill will enable the deployment of
the SDF abroad as needed to deal with pirate attacks
on the high seas.


The Samidare carry Standard SM-2 missiles in its
amidships vertical launch cells.

Once the order is given, two destroyers, the 4,650-ton
Sazanami and 4,550-ton Samidare of the 8th Escort
Division of the 4th Escort Flotilla, are to leave
their base in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, on Saturday
afternoon.

A total of roughly 400 MSDF personnel and eight coast
guard officers will board the ships, each to carry
onboard two SH-60K patrol helicopters and two
speedboats, according to the Defense Ministry.
Members of the commando-style MSDF Special Boarding
Unit will also board the ships to deal with encounters
with Somali pirates, who are said to be armed with
such weapons as rockets and automatic rifles.

The fleet is expected to take two to three weeks to
arrive in the gulf, making it likely that the escort
mission will begin around early April. The destroyers
will escort Japan-linked ships, Japanese registered
ships, foreign ships with Japanese nationals or
shipments on board, and other ships operated by
Japanese shipping firms.

Coast guard officers will be at hand aboard the
destroyers to process judicial matters, including
collecting criminal evidence and handling crime
suspects, in case the destroyers run into pirates. In
such encounters, MSDF personnel may fire warning shots
to ward off pirates. But under the maritime policing
provision, they cannot harm the bandits except under
limited circumstances, such as for self- defense.
Japan also plans to deploy MSDF P-3C patrol aircraft
to the gulf in several months to watch over the vast
sea.

More than a dozen countries, including Russia, China,
the US and the European Union have deployed their
naval vessels to waters around the Horn of Africa on
anti-piracy missions under the authority of U.N.
Security Council resolutions. Piracy has been rampant
in the waters, accounting for 111 cases last year, or
more than double the cases reported a year earlier.
That accounted for roughly one-third of all pirate
incidents in the world.


And here is the JMSDF SBU badge, the Japanese forces secretive Special Boarding Unit.

The Special Boarding Unit is a special forces unit
established by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense
Forces on March 27, 2001 in response to a previous spy
ship incursion that occurred on the Noto Peninsula in
1999. The unit was created to perform similar roles to
those undertaken by French GIGN or American Navy SEALs
and the British SBS. Their field involves maritime
anti-terrorist duties, including operations where arms
are known to be involved. However, their duties and
responsibilities overlap with those of the Special
Security Team, the Japan Coast Guard's counter
terrorist unit. SBU is a special forces unit and
highly classified subject and opacity surrounds their
role in case of combat with pirates.

"In the Chinese Navy"... a new power player on high seas

Tension in China seas as Beijing sends warships.
(Quotes from FAS, IPCS and reporting)

"China’s long standing land based survival strategy is
likely to become history soon." 'The Chinese Navy’s
decision to send warships to the Somalia coast last
January, soon after UN Resolution 1851 on 16 December
2008, coincided with its first public confirmation, on
24 December 2008, that it was “seriously considering”
building an aircraft carrier.


Image above: Chinese submarines which normally stay
close to shore journeyed on 12 longer patrols last
year.

These announcements reflect the Asian giant’s growing
interest in the maritime domain. Despite a coastline
stretching approximately 14,500km in length, China has
traditionally focused on inland security.

China’s recognition of its need to have a far-reaching
maritime sphere stems from its decision to protect its
interests as well as its desire to seek great power
status.

For Beijing, (as for Tokyo) protecting the sea line of
communication (SLOC) is essential as China is the
world’s second-largest oil consumer and the
third-largest importer.

These announcements reflect the Asian giant’s growing
interest in the maritime domain. Despite a coastline
stretching approximately 14,500km in length, China has
traditionally focused on inland security.

Among the Asian Navies, the Chinese Navy has the most
powerful submarine-fleet. According to the Military
Balance 2008, China has about 70 submarines including
three ballistic-missile submarines (SSBN) which are
involved in conducting frequent patrols far from the
mainland.'

Consequences:

The intelligence naval battles intensifies in China
seas between China and the USA, as with Russia and
Japan, rising tension, implicating frequent hide and
seek dangerous naval games.

News media reported half a dozen incidents just within
the past week in which U.S. surveillance vessels were
monitored in Asia waters including dozens of Chinese
Y-12 maritime surveillance aircraft and on Sunday the
US MoD (Pentagon) stated that five Chinese vessels had
blocked and surrounded the U.S. surveillance ship,
Impeccable, in Asia international waters. One of the
ships came within 25 feet of the U.S. boat, according
to the Pentagon.

China criticized the United States on Tuesday, blaming
a U.S. Navy ship for violating international law
during a tense confrontation near a Chinese submarine
base.


A Chinese sailor used a long grappling hook to try to
snag a cable that the Impeccable was using to tow an
underwater listening device known as a Surtass array.

“The U.S. claims are gravely in contravention of the
facts and confuse black and white, and they are
totally unacceptable to China,” said Ma Zhaoxu, a
Foreign Ministry spokesman.

The latest incident allegedly occurred in the Asia
international waters only 75 miles south of a naval
base near Yulin on Hainan Island from where China has
started operating new nuclear attack and ballistic
missile submarines.


US Impeccable

The U.S. Navy on its part is collecting data on the
Chinese submarines and seafloor to improve its ability
to detect the submarines in peacetime and more
efficiently hunt them in case of war.

Such case with the USNS Impeccable which is equipped
with the Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System
(SURTASS), a passive linear underwater surveillance
array attached to a tow cable.


SURTASS was developed as a floating submarine
detection system for deep waters, and the Navy wants
to add an active Low Frequency Array (LFA) to improve
long-range detection of submarines in shallow waters.

Among Chinese submarines the USNS Impeccable was
monitoring is "probably the Shang-class (Type-093)
nuclear-powered attack submarine", a new class China
is building to replace the old Han-class, and which
has recently been seen at the Yulin base, according to
the FAS quotes.


A commercial satellite image taken September 15, 2008,
shows two Shang-class submarines present at the base,
the first time that two Shang-class SSNs have been
seen at the base at the same time, according to Fas.

The Impeccable incident came just a week after the two
countries resumed high-level talks between their
militaries. The dialogue had been broken off last
year by the Chinese over a $6.5 billion American arms
deal with Taiwan.

The dispute also comes in the wake of a recent visit
to China by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Her
recent visit in Beijing was part of a tour of the
Asia-Pacific region, including Japan and Indonesia in
her first overseas trip for President Obama’s
administration.

And just after Mrs. Clinton left China, the State
Department angered Beijing with a broad set of
criticisms of its human rights record in 2008.
Followed by criticism on trade issues between the US
and China...

I am heading soon to the strategic islands of Okinawa
to have a look at these dangerous naval games with an
"Umi no Kuni" viewpoint angle.

A suivre donc.

A day in Tokyo with i-MiEV "Green" car!

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation will work with PSA
Peugeot-Citroen on its new electric car, the i MiEV,
aiming to sell the car in Europe from the end of 2010
or early 2011. Peugeot will sell the car under its
own brand.

I want to hear more about it. And contrary to what one
can read, hear or see on TV, Japanese Executives ARE
opened to press interviews. Yes they are. They do it
all the time.

If you want one with one of Toyota, Nissan, or
Mitsubishi Presidents, just email me and I will give
you a number. Actually Japan is one of the rare
country where we can interview any VIP in any activity
and I already met the president of Nissan Renault,
Toyota, Mitsubishi and others several times and in
several occasions. How? Japan has its rules, it is
necessary to take an appointment first... instead of
running to the factory door and wait like the singing
bird that the door opens.

So many catastrophe scenario! Car industry reality is
currently dull but lots remain to be understood about
how the car industry is already engaged into a revival
plan through the new technologies and friendly use. It
will take time but solutions are right ahead.

Today Japanese car industry already is focussing on new
engines and new models for Green cars, trucks, lorries,
and City buses. Less energy consuming, friendly to
the environment. Question is : why they did not think
about it before? Besides, it is so quiet!

New synergies are considered about batteries. By the
way, is a car battery part of the vehicle or part of
the fuel service...?



Following is an extract of an article on Japanese
automobile industries published in renown Ward's Auto
review from the USA. Interview of the top man of
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation: President Osamu Masuko
who confirms that "Mitsubishi remains committed to
electric vehicles. In July, it will launch the i-MiEV
in the Japanese market. By year-end, it will begin
exporting the car to right-hand-drive markets and then
in 2010 begin shipping left-hand-drive vehicles."

Quote 1

"Mitsubishi Motors Corp. President Osamu Masuko is
hoping to work his magic a second time. Having
engineered a dramatic reversal of the auto maker’s
fortunes after assuming the presidency in January
2005, the 60-year-old Masuko now faces what could be
an even greater challenge as the global economy sinks
deeper into a protracted recession. After reporting
record earnings of ¥108.6 billion ($1.2 billion) in
fiscal 2007, Mitsubishi is targeting a slim operating
profit of ¥5.5 billion ($55 million) in the fiscal
year ending March 31. Second-half fiscal year losses
are projected at ¥20.4 billion ($224 million).

MMC’s Masuko perplexed over the yen’s sharp
appreciation against most major currencies. Analysts
remain skeptical about Mitsubishi’s prospects, with
many seeing the auto maker as too small to be a global
player; too dependent on exports from Japan; and too
vulnerable to exchange-rate fluctuations, with a solid
but thin model lineup. Yet, projected losses for the
second half of the current fiscal year are
substantially lower than most of its Japanese rivals,
and the auto maker holds ¥257.9 billion ($2.8 billion)
in cash, enough, it believes, to weather the current
downturn. More relevantly, Masuko is confident
Mitsubishi, which sold nearly 1.4 million vehicles in
fiscal 2007, can lower its break-even point to
slightly below 1 million units on an annual basis by
second-half fiscal 2009, after reducing swollen
inventories during the first part of the year."



Quote 2:

"Ward’s: Will Mitsubishi change its product focus and
brand concept away from sporty and fun to drive in
light of growing demand for smaller, more
fuel-efficient cars?

Masuko: To some extent we have no choice, as
consumers, as you alluded, have become more aware of
environmental issues than in the past. Thus, we will
introduce a global small car with a 1.0L engine in
2011. In July, we will launch the i-MiEV in Japan and
begin exporting the car by year-end. Then in early
2010, we will launch a compact SUV. While we roll out
these new models, other vehicles in our lineup will
undergo periodic facelifts and minor changes.

Ward’s: Does Mitsubishi have any plans to produce a
hybrid or plug-in hybrid?

Masuko: In fact, we now plan to develop a plug-in
hybrid and hope to announce something in the near
future. Basically, our strategy will be to adopt
batteries for small cars like the i-MiEV and plug-in
hybrid technology for larger vehicles."



Quote 3:

"Ward’s: Some analysts suggest Mitsubishi needs to
find a new partner if it hopes to survive the current
environment. Do you agree?

Masuko: As I’ve said many times before, the era of big
alliances – what I call the 4 Million Club – is over.
At least for Mitsubishi, there will be no more Daimler
Chrysler (AG)-type alliances. That said, we will
cooperate with other auto makers and suppliers on
platforms or technologies. Some examples: Last June,
we entered into a technical collaboration with PSA
Peugeot Citroen to work together in the field of
electric power-trains. PSA has sold more than 10,000
electric vehicles. Also with PSA, we are building an
assembly plant in Kaluga, southwest of Moscow, to
jointly produce a C-segment car from 2011.

Earlier, we entered into an OEM supply agreement with
PSA, whereby Mitsubishi supplies Outlander CUVs, both
Peugeot- and Citroen-badged, and they supply 2.2L
diesels for those vehicles. This past December, we
announced a joint project with Proton (Holdings,
Malaysia’s largest auto maker) to help develop a new
jointly badged car that Proton will then produce. And
in March, we will open our joint venture lithium
battery plant with GS Yuasa. This is the sort of
thing I have in mind."



Simple, I guess it is time to plug-in!

(Courtesy of the author)

Quantité record de combustibles nucléaires en route pour le Japon

La plus importante quantité d'un mélange uranium et
plutonium (le MOX) jamais transportée quitte Cherbourg
pour le Japon. Ce déplacement fait partie d'un
programme de coopération entre la France et le Japon,
pour développer l'électronucléaire japonais.

Deux bateaux britanniques, chargés de transporter le
combustible MOX sont partis de leur port d'attache
de Barrow au Royaume-Uni vendredi midi, selon
Greenpeace, qui ajoute que le "Pacific Pintail" et le
"Pacific Heron", sont les deux navires spécialisés
dans le transport des matières nucléaires.

En plus de deux mois, 1,8 tonne de plutonium ont
transité par voie maritime, soit une quantité
permettant de fabriquer 225 bombes nucléaires,
s'alarme Greenpeace.

L'organisation de ce transport sensible entre l'Europe
et le Japon prévoit des dispositifs de protection
conséquents, affirme Areva, sur son site internet,
pour éviter les vols ou le sabotage. Les deux navires
sont armés et naviguent ensemble.

Le partenariat énergétique franco-japonais prévoit que
d'ici à 2010, 16 à 18 réacteurs japonais
fonctionneront avec du MOX. Le Japon, seconde
puissance économique mondiale, et puissance
exportatrice, est dépourvu de ressources naturelles,
et donc a de très importants besoins énergétiques.

Un transport considéré comme sensible par les
autorités japonaises étant donné la nature du
chargement.

Le Cœur supplicié de Bush et les "prophéties apocalyptiques"

Abracadabrantesque?

En 2003, Jacques Chirac comprit, par un coup de
fil de George W. Bush, ce qui poussait ce
dernier à vouloir faire la guerre à l'Irak. "Si
vous le répétez, je démentirai" de Jean-Claude
Maurice, l'histoire des relations Chirac - Bush,
chez l'Editeur Plon en mars 2009. Eric Mandonnet
de l'hebdomadaire l'Express décrypte. Extraits:

"Jacques Chirac l'a appris, le mois précédent, de
la bouche même de Bush Jr. Une révélation reçue
d'abord avec étonnement, puis, renseignement
pris, avec effroi. Lors de cette conversation
téléphonique visant à convaincre son homologue
français de se joindre à la coalition, George
Bush Jr. a utilisé un argument singulier,
affirmant que... «Gog et Magog sont à l'oeuvre
au Proche-Orient» et que «les prophéties
bibliques sont sur le point de s'accomplir».

Sur le moment, Jacques Chirac, stupéfait, ne
réagit pas. Il sait Bush religieux, mais il a du
mal à comprendre que le président de la première
puissance du monde soit à ce point fondu des
Ecritures qu'il batte le rappel des duettistes
Gog et Magog pour justifier son combat! Chirac
s'en ouvre à ses conseillers, d'abord portés à
sourire. Il les charge de l'éclairer plus
précisément sur Gog et Magog.

Un jour plus tard, George Bush récidive,
prononçant ces deux noms mystérieux lors d'une
conférence de presse sur l' «axe du mal».
L'Elysée consulte d'urgence un spécialiste. Pas
en France, mais en Suisse, pour éviter
d'éventuelles fuites.

C'est Thomas Römer, professeur de théologie à
l'université de Lausanne, qui est mis à
contribution. Son rapport a de quoi glacer le
sang. Gog, prince de Magog, c'est l'apocalypse.
Ce personnage apparaît dans la Genèse, et surtout
dans deux des plus obscurs chapitres du Livre
d'Ezéchiel, prophétie d'une armée mondiale
livrant la bataille finale à Israël. Un conflit
voulu par Dieu qui doit, terrassant Gog et Magog,
anéantir à jamais les ennemis du peuple élu avant
que naisse un monde nouveau.

Une page du "Beatus de Facundus", un manuscrit
enluminé du XIe siecle. Gog et Magog
apparaissent dans la tranche du milieu, à gauche
du faux prophète.

Pour un esprit français, l'évocation de Gog et
Magog pouvait prêter à rire. Chirac, lui, ne rit
pas. Cette parabole d'une apocalypse annoncée
pour réaliser une prophétie l'inquiète et le
tourmente. Il s'interroge aussi sur l'inculture
religieuse à l'heure où les soubassements
religieux sont beaucoup plus déterminants qu'on
ne veut le croire dans les décisions politiques
et militaires.

Jacques Chirac dès lors ne s'y trompe pas. Le
président américain a sommairement décrypté les
Ecritures: une armée mondiale islamiste
fondamentaliste menace le monde occidental qui
soutient Israël. Les attentats du 11 septembre
contre les tours de Manhattan en sont la preuve.
«Ils vont mettre la région à feu et à sang.

"Ils ne comprennent rien à rien!"

Ils ne comprennent rien à rien et sont d'une
inculture crasse en ce qui concerne un Orient
déjà compliqué. Demandez-leur de vous citer le
nom d'un poète arabe. C'est tout juste si pour
eux l'affrontement entre chiites et sunnites ne
renvoie pas à la finale d'un Super Bowl du
Moyen-Orient!» Et d'énumérer tout ce qui va se
passer. «Vous verrez: ils vont mener une guerre
de Pandore, la gagner rapidement, mais le plus
dur alors commencera. Sunnites et chiites vont
se déchirer.

Après l'invasion, une guerre civile fera plus de
victimes civiles que les combats de la guerre
éclair. Al-Qaeda trouvera en Irak un terrain de
manoeuvre qui lui est jusqu'ici interdit. Dans
un an, il faudra envoyer des renforts. Et dans
trois ans, quand 3 000 GI seront morts, ils
n'auront le choix qu'entre le retrait et l'envoi
de nouvelles troupes."

"Si vous le répétez, je démentirai" par Jean-Claude
Maurice aux éditions Plon, France.

Directeur de la rédaction du Journal du dimanche
entre 1999 et 2005, Jean-Claude Maurice rencontra
à une dizaine de reprises, en tête à tête,
Jacques Chirac, alors chef de l'Etat, avant la
guerre en Irak à laquelle le président français
s'opposera.

(Courtesy of L'Express E-mail newsletter)

Japan jigsaw politics with Taepodong rockets

Everybody is waiting for North Korea launching of a
rocket, and according to the Sankei shimbun:

"The Defense Ministry has now begun studying
plans to mobilize the Self-Defense Forces'
missile defense (MD) system and intercept an
advanced model of the Taepodong 2, a North Korean
long-range ballistic missile, should North Korea
launch the missile at Japan, sources said
yesterday. Intercepting it would be the Standard
Missile 3 (SM-3), a sea-based intercept missile
mounted on Aegis-equipped destroyers, and the
Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3), a
land-based ground-to-air guided missile. The MD
system would be actually used for the first time
since its introduction. However, intercepting
requires a grave political decision. The Defense
Ministry will therefore coordinate carefully with
the prime minister's office.

To intercept the enhanced Taepodong-2 missile,
the government will for the first time invoke an
action, newly stipulated in the SDF law with the
MD system being introduced, to destroy ballistic
missiles and other projectiles.

The action for missile destruction is to be taken
in two cases: 1) if there are such pre-launch
signs as fuel injection, the defense minister,
with the prime minister's approval, will order
the SDF to intercept; and 2) when it is necessary
to watch out for missile testing or other
eventualities even though there are no definite
signs, the defense minister will have Aegis
vessels and other SDF systems prepositioned to
intercept in conformity with a prepared outline
of countermeasures for emergencies."

Meanwhile:

"Iran and North Korea have been cooperating with
each other as Iranian nuclear development
researchers have visited North Korea and North
Korea has sold missile-related parts to Iran.
Iran has denied the existence of any military
relations with North Korea. However, the two
countries' technical cooperation has been
continuing behind the scenes. Their
nuclear-related technologies might have improved
markedly."

If such a policy was to be adopted it would mark
a radical change with Japan 's former posture
that was to avoid interception of a DPRK rocket
missile flying above Japan's archipelago. The
Sankei often well informed also has a reputation
to put oil on fire regarding the dramatic events
on the Korean peninsula while Japan allies often
wondered about Tokyo if such a rocket was to be
used as a deterrence by the North.

Investisseurs douteux...

"Bankers lie by nature!"
David Roche (Tokyo, February 2009, 26th)

"... Egalement convaincu que la crise des subprimes
avait, au moins partiellement, une origine criminelle,
le FBI a lancé, depuis un an et demi, une noria
d'enquêtes dans le monde de la finance, ciblant plus
d'une vingtaine d'établissements, parmi lesquels
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, AIG, etc.
Les soupçons sont tellement lourds que d'aucuns
appellent à la création d'une nouvelle Commission
Pecora, du nom du procureur général de New York qui,
en 1932, a dirigé l'enquête sur les responsabilités du
krach financier de 1929. La crise financière
aurait-elle réellement des relents de mafia ? Les
hedge funds, ces fonds de placements à haut risques,
ne seraient-ils rien moins que des «réceptacles»
d'argent sale issu des bénéfices colossaux de crime
organisé ?..."

" Pays souvent montré du doigt, le Japon est, lui
aussi, victime de "sa" mafia, les yakuzas. Au point
que dans son rapport annuel de 2007, la police
japonaise tirait la sonnette d'alarme sur la
recrudescence des actions boursières menées par des
yakuzas.

Frappés de plein fouet par le vote, en 1992, d'une
importante loi de lutte contre les sources de
financement du crime organisé et profitant de la
déréglementation financière et de la faiblesse des
mécanismes de contrôle, ils jetèrent leur dévolu sur
le monde de la finance.

Le résultat de cette reconversion est inquiétant, car
l'on sait aujourd'hui qu'une bonne partie du milliard
de yens (800 millions d'euros) généré annuellement par
les activités des yakuzas transite par les Bourses de
Tokyo et d'Osaka!

La capacité des organisations criminelles à évoluer
avec autant d'agilité dans les périodes de crise et de
croissance, leur manne financière continuellement
alimentée et le besoin récurrent du système financier
de liquidités font craindre à Jean-François Gayraud,
"qu'elles tenteront de refinancer ou de racheter à la
baisse des sociétés malades, bancaires ou
commerciales, un peu comme vont le faire les
capitalistes qui auront su franchir la tempête
financière indemnes." ("Manipulation des marchés et
parasitage de l'économie mondiale", par Frédéric Moser)

Durant la crise financière japonaise des années 90, on
disait qu'un quart des "bad loans" provenait du
détournement de l'argent public par les mafias
japonaises. (ndAG)

Horn of Africa to anchor Japan war ships

Bilingual FR/Eng

Comment intensifier la lutte contre la piraterie
maritime? C’est un fléau contre le développement des
pays de la mer Rouge, selon le ministre des Affaires
étrangères français, Bernard Kouchner, rendant visite
au président yéménite Ali Abdallah Saleh.

La France, le Yémen mais aussi Djibouti, où Bernard
Kouchner a également fait une escale, envisagent donc
de créer un port artificiel dans lequel les navires
chargés de lutter contre les pirates pourraient
mouiller à l’avenir.


Vaisseaux des forces japonaises JMSDF

Ce port pourrait voir le jour dans les îlots de Perim,
autrement dit, dans les eaux yéménites du détroit de
Bab el-Mandeb. Le Yémen plaide également pour la
création d’un centre de contrôle opérationnel basé sur
son territoire, ce que conçoit très bien le ministre
français des Affaires étrangères, Bernard Kouchner: «
Ici à Sanaa, nous avons envisagé l’accueil des
bateaux, parce que certains viennent de très loin. Il
leur faut des ports. Le port de coordination de la
bataille contre la piraterie se trouve à Northwood, en
Angleterre, avec un amiral anglais. C’est très loin,
mais tout devra se coordonner de la meilleure façon ».

Le Japon va donc pouvoir sortir ses navires de guerre
de ses eaux territoriales pour défendre ses
approvisonnements en pétrole et en gaz. La "politique
des petits pas" avec un Japon se re-militarisant
pour devenir toujours plus actif et offensif face aux
crises internationales et au maintien de la paix. Ses
voisins n'y voient pas nécessairement d'inconvénients
aussi longtemps que cette force est coordonnée par une
alliance internationale menée par les Etats-Unis, la France etc.

English quotes:

Asahi shimbun February 24, 2009: " Administrative Vice
Defense Minister Kohei Masuda : "the Defense Ministry
would consider using a Maritime Self-Defense Force
supply ship-currently deployed to the Indian Ocean for
refueling activities under the Antiterrorism Special
Measures Law for the planned dispatch of MSDF
destroyers in early March for an antipiracy mission in
waters off Somalia."

The Defense Ministry says there is no problem about
refueling MSDF vessels that are Japanese ships.
However, the purpose of refueling those MSDF
destroyers tasked with an antipiracy mission differs
from that of the special measures law, and it
therefore could be taken as use outside the law's
purpose.

The Defense Ministry is considering such countries as
'Djibouti' in the horn of Africa*, at the western edge
of the Gulf of Aden, for refueling the MSDF destroyers
to be sent out for an antipiracy mission.

The destroyers need to be refueled about once in 7-10
days, so they will inevitably have to suspend their
activities whenever they are refueled. The Defense
Ministry deems it possible to conduct antipiracy
operations in an efficient way if the supply ship in
the Indian Ocean can be used for underway
replenishment.

* Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somalia.