Colin Powell

Powell repeated Washington's support for Japan's quest for permanent U.N. Security Council membership and acknowledged the importance of Article 9 to the Japanese people.

"If Japan is going to play a full role on the world stage and become an active participating member of the Security Council, and have the kind of obligations that it would pick up as a member, Article 9 would have to be examined in that light," he said.

"But whether Article 9 should be modified or changed is absolutely and entirely up to the Japanese people to decide," he said.

Article 9, the centerpiece of the pacifist Constitution, stipulates "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes."

Tokyo insists that it is eligible for permanent U.N. Security Council membership because it has been the second-largest contributor to the United Nations and is involved in various U.N. peacekeeping operations.

The Japan Times Weekly: Aug. 21, 2004
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