Should Republicans go ahead and add Supreme Court Justices to head off Democrats

Japan to work with US on missile defense

AP via Washington Post:

The Japanese government has decided to move forward with a ballistic missile defense program with the United States, a government official said Saturday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said the government has decided to proceed with the joint development of a missile interceptor for the program, designed to use defensive missiles to destroy attacking ones.

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A year ago, Japan adopted new defense guidelines that ease its nearly three-decades-old ban on arms exports to allow it to develop a missile defense program with its closest ally, the United States.

North Korea became one of Tokyo's biggest security worries after it test-fired a long-range ballistic missile over Japan in 1998, prompting Tokyo to begin researching missile defense.

Tokyo and Washington have been discussing an estimated $3 billion joint defense shield with Japan's share at about one-third, defense officials said.

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This story underlines a couple of important points. The first is that Japan has become one of our most dependable allies. It is one that recognizes the strength of our mutual defense against hostile powers like the Norks. The second point has to do with missile defense. If the Democrats had defeated George Bush in 2000, neither the US or Japan would have a missle defense system because the Democrats erroniouly believed that withdrawing from the ABM treaty would be destabalizing and lead to a new missile race. I have yet to hear themn admit they were wrong on this point although events have clearly demonstrated that they were and the US will be safer because AlGore lost the 2000 election.