Subject: ＥＥＥ会議（Re:日本核武装に関する防衛庁の研究報告：朝日新聞記事）
Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 17:43:55 +0900
From: "kkaneko" <kkaneko@eagle.ocn.ne.jp>

各位

昨日（２月２０日）の朝日新聞朝刊が報道した「日本核武装に関する防衛庁の研究報
告」について、ＡＰ通信社が次のように報じております。　とくに新味はありません
が、ご参考まで。　因みに、最近米国では、北朝鮮問題に絡んで再び一部の有力政治
家（共和党のマッケイン上院議員など）が盛んに日本核武装論をぶち上げているよう
です。
金子熊夫
*************************************************


Japan Studied, but Rejected, Nuclear Arms
AP, Thu Feb 20, 2:06 AM ET

By KENJI HALL, Associated Press Writer

TOKYO - Japan considered developing its own nuclear arsenal in 1995 to
counter
the threat of a nuclear-armed North Korea (news - web sites), but rejected
the
idea because it might deprive Tokyo of U.S. military protection and alarm
Asian
countries.

In a 31-page study, the Defense Agency concluded that the political and
financial costs of having nuclear weapons were too high and consequences for
the
Asian region too weighty, agency spokesman Manabu Shimamoto said Thursday.

It was the second time since the end of World War II that Japan had looked
into
the possibility of starting its own research on nuclear weapons. Tokyo
rejected
a similar plan in a 1967-1970 study, he said.

As the only country ever attacked with nuclear weapons, Japan has vowed
never to
possess its own nuclear bombs. But the report showed that government
officials
haven't entirely ruled out the possibility.

Running its own nuclear program would have forced Japan to start from
scratch,
building new facilities and buying equipment ? a step that would have led to
exorbitant defense spending, he said.

But Japan's biggest concern was upsetting the balance of power in Asia.

Tokyo scrapped the plan over worries that it would violate the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty, undermine the U.S. military's presence in Japan and
cause a backlash from Asian nations, the spokesman said.

Also, Washington would likely never allow North Korea to build a nuclear
bomb,
the study concluded, he said.

Shimamoto said the report, which was detailed in the national Asahi
newspaper
Thursday, was an internal document and was never intended for public
release.

News of the agency's report comes as Tokyo continues its efforts to pressure
North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.


----- Original Message -----
From: kkaneko
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003 11:05 PM
Subject: ＥＥＥ会議（日本核武装に関する防衛庁の研究報告：朝日新聞記事）


各位

今朝（２月２０日）の朝日新聞朝刊１、４面に次の記事が載りました。すでにお読
みになった方も多いと存じいますが、今後の当ＥＥＥ会議における議論に資するため
同記事を再録しておきます。　

因みに、類似の研究は、１９６０年代末から１９７０年代初めにかけて、核拡散防
止条約（ＮＰＴ）に対する日本政府の態度決定の過程で、総理官邸（内調）や外務省
でも行われた経緯があります。
金子熊夫
************************************************