close

World of opinion

4 min read

On exporting stealth fighter parts:

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet plans to allow exports of Japanese-made parts for Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 stealth fighter jet, which will be the Self-Defense Forces’ next mainstay combat plane.

The plan has raised many important questions. What kind of parts will be allowed to be exported? Isn’t there the possibility that parts manufactured in Japan and sold to the United States or some other countries will be used in international conflicts? Does the government intend to permit exports of completed F-35s as well as parts after some of the jets are assembled in Japan? The Abe administration, however, has yet to offer any clear answers to these and other vital questions.

The F-35 fighter jet is designed to avoid being detected by radar. But the role Japan plays in the development and production of the aircraft must not be invisible to the public. The decision on this key security issue should not be made in haste through closed-door talks between Japan and the United States. …

For decades, Japan had maintained a self-imposed ban on exports of weaponry in line with its three principles on arms exports. The previous government of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda eased the restrictions on arms exports and made it easier for Japan to participate in joint development and production of weapons. But the governments have said that, even under the eased restrictions, they will stick to the accepted policy of avoiding such participation when it could contribute to exacerbating international conflicts.

This promise, however, will not be so easy to honor because the United States has often waged wars, and Israel, which has a history of getting embroiled in conflicts with its neighbors, plans to purchase the F-35. …

Moreover, there is a reality that Japanese-made parts for civilian products are already used in various weapons of many countries. …

Clearly, Japan needs an open and fundamental policy debate on arms exports. It is vital to start discussing all these and other relevant issues from scratch.

The Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo

On Egypt:

As Egypt descended into violence recently you can’t help but ask: What happened to the revolution? Surely the young men and women who toppled Hosni Mubarak’s dictatorial regime didn’t intend to replace him with the authoritarian regime of Mohammed Morsi.

The Egyptian army was deployed after rioting broke out in various Egyptian cities. Dozens have died in the violence. Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has warned that the confrontation between Islamists and the more liberal-minded, secular-oriented protesters “could lead to the collapse of the state.”

All this squeezes Morsi into a tight corner, of course. He has to suppress the riots, appease his own supporters and, at the extreme, avoid a civil war. Yet, Morsi can be faulted for having fostered the conditions that engender violence. He and his Muslim Brotherhood backers rammed through a pro-Islamist constitution with little regard for Egypt’s large secularized population, or much concern for women’s rights and religious minorities. Morsi’s recent attempt to give himself greater powers also did not go down well with many Egyptians.

Perhaps even more crucially, Morsi’s regime has done little to improve the economic prospects of Egypt’s young — 45 million are under 30 years old. Rising food prices and high unemployment were the dry tinder that sparked the Arab Spring. Yet, two years later, unemployment among those between 19 and 24 hovers at 41 per cent, while, according to one report, 86 per cent of Egyptian households don’t have enough income to cover monthly food and shelter costs. An explosion was almost inevitable. …

After decades of near-totalitarian rule, Egypt’s civil society is much weakened. Unfortunately, the Morsi regime appears bent on weakening it more.

How might the West respond? Tough-mindedly, using money as leverage. … The West should grant loans only on condition that Morsi abandon the Islamist agenda… The West should not prop up another would-be theocratic dictatorship.

Ottawa Citizen, Ontario

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $4.79/week.

Subscribe Today