U.S. welcomes Japan’s move to lift of ban on military intervention

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/07/02/u-s-welcomes-japans-move-to-lift-of-ban-on-military-intervention/



U.S. welcomes Japan’s move to lift of ban on military intervention
By Agence France-Presse
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 11:40 EDT

The United States Tuesday welcomed a historic shift by Japan to expand the role of its military by reinterpreting the terms of the nation’s US-imposed constitution.

“We have followed with interest the extensive discussion within Japan on the issue of exercising its right under the UN Charter to collective self-defense,” State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said.

“We welcome the government of Japan’s new policy regarding collective self-defense and related security matters.”

After months of political horse-trading and browbeating of opponents, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his cabinet had formally endorsed a reinterpretation of rules that have banned the use of armed force except in very narrowly-defined circumstances.