Last Updated: Friday, 13 April 2007
Japan moves to loosen army's role http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6553231.stm
[The bill next goes to parliament's upper house for approval]
Japan's lower house of parliament has approved guidelines to amend the country's post-war pacifist constitution for the first time.
The bill now goes to the upper house and if passed, a referendum on changing the constitution to allow greater use of military force will be held.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to loosen the limits on military action. Foreign deployments of Japan's self-defence force, like that to Iraq, currently require special legislation. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6553231.stm