DPJ to form team to investigate purported secret Japan-U.S. pact
Sep. 14, 2009
The Democratic Party of Japan is preparing to form a team of experts to investigate a purported secret Japan-U.S. pact allowing U.S. military vessels carrying nuclear weapons to enter Japanese territory, party sources said Friday.
The move comes after DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama, who is set to be installed as prime minister next week, said Thursday that his administration will launch the investigation because the new ruling party wants to ''reveal the facts to the public.''
The Japanese government has denied the existence of such a pact that would contradict the country's non-nuclear principles of not possessing, producing or allowing nuclear weapons on its territory.
But several former government officials have made comments hinting at the existence of such a pact.
(Distributed by Kyodo News on Sept. 12, 2009)
The move comes after DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama, who is set to be installed as prime minister next week, said Thursday that his administration will launch the investigation because the new ruling party wants to ''reveal the facts to the public.''
The Japanese government has denied the existence of such a pact that would contradict the country's non-nuclear principles of not possessing, producing or allowing nuclear weapons on its territory.
But several former government officials have made comments hinting at the existence of such a pact.
(Distributed by Kyodo News on Sept. 12, 2009)
