Is There A U.S. - Japan Security Agreement Concerning Nuclear Weapons?

YOKOSUKA, Japan (May 15, 2007) - USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) departs Fleet Activities Yokosuka to begin carrier qualifications in the western Pacific Ocean. Kitty Hawk is the Navy's only permanent forward-deployed aircraft carrier and operates out of Yokosuka, Japan. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Stephen Rowe. USS Kitty Hawk in Japan, originally uploaded by zerohour1971.

Okada Orders Thorough Investigation Over Japan-U.S. Secret Pacts -- Breitbart/AP

New Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said early Thursday that he has ordered the ministry's top bureaucrat to investigate the issue of alleged secret pacts between Japan and the United States, including one on the handling of nuclear weapons, and to issue a report around the end of November.

"I think there is a high probability that the secret pacts exist, but I do not have clear evidence," Okada told reporters, noting that Vice Foreign Minister Mitoji Yabunaka has expressed his intention to comply with the order and launch the investigation around Sept. 25.

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My Comment: I will be shocked if there was no agreement. U.S. carriers have been making ports of call to Japan for years. I have been told (20 years ago) that some of these carriers had tactical nukes in their armory. Did they visit Japan when they had them .... I am sure it happened. Were there agreements and/or understandings between the U.S. military and Japanese Government when this did happen .... I would guess there was.

But this debate ignores the bigger picture. Why is the incoming Japanese administration so keen on investigating this now. What is their agenda?

When I look at it from this point of view, I see a very nationalistic and anti-American policy coming into play. The incoming Japanese PM has made it very clear that Japan will now focus its attention on Asia over its relationship with the United States. By causing a controversy on an issue that strikes a personal cord with many Japanese .... and by appealing to the Japanese sense of independence .... he will be able to accomplish this very quickly, as well as nullify any opposition to his "new direction".