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20.02.2003 11:24:10
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Прочее; Современность;
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Японский доклад по ядерному оружию
Приветствую
FEBRUARY 20, 02:06 ET
Japan Studied, but Rejected, Nuclear Arms
By KENJI HALL
Associated Press Writer
TOKYO (AP) — Japan considered developing its own nuclear arsenal in 1995 to counter the threat of a nuclear-armed North Korea, 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.