On Monday, February 24, 2003, at 08:20 AM, Ulhas Joglekar wrote:
> DRR wrote:
>
>>> As for Japan, Japan needs the US power in the Pacific to counter
>>> China
>>> and
>>> N.Korea.
>
>> Why?
>
> Japan lacks nuclear weapons.
>
this is very much a live issue, particularly with the dprk nuclear row. bbc ran a story a little over a week ago that japan was considering its own action in north korea. stuff i'm looking at suggests that japan could have minimal nuclear capabilities within months, if not weeks. they have the basic infrastructure, including plenty of spent plutonium.
j