Japan set narrow territorial waters along straits for U.S. nukes+

TOKYO, June 21 Kyodo -
Japan has set narrow territorial waters along its five key straits in order to
avoid political issues arising from the passage of U.S. warships carrying
nuclear weapons, former Japanese vice foreign ministers have told Kyodo News.

Japanese territorial waters along the Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, Tsushima and Korea
straits have been set at 3 nautical miles (5.6 kilometers) from shore, instead
of the maximum allowable limit of 12 nautical miles (22 km).
U.S. vessels carrying nuclear weapons, including nuclear-powered subs with
nuclear missiles, must have passed through the key straits during deterrence
operations in the Sea of Japan to counter the nuclear threat from the former
Soviet Union, China and North Korea, according to the former officials.
If territorial waters had been set at 12 nautical miles along the straits,
there would have been no areas of open sea in some sections of the straits,
forcing the vessels to cross Japanese waters, thus infringing on Japan's three
nonnuclear principles of not possessing, producing or allowing nuclear weapons
on its territory, they said.
The Japanese government has thus set territorial waters along the five straits
at 3 nautical miles under the guise of placing priority on free passage through
the key channels, they said.
The arrangements were made when the Japanese government discussed the
territorial waters to be set along the channels while formulating a law to set
limits up to 12 nautical miles, which was enforced in 1977, they said.
At the time, the government believed that the United States would continue to
transport nuclear weapons through the channels even if territorial waters were
set at 12 nautical miles along the straits because Japan had turned a blind eye
to U.S. transportation of nuclear weapons through Japanese waters in line with
a secret pact when the bilateral security treaty was revised in 1960, according
to the former officials.
Questioned by Kyodo about the revelation, the Foreign Ministry said it was
still formulating its response and will respond on or after Monday.
Kyodo submitted a written question to the ministry on Wednesday morning and
asked the ministry to respond by Friday evening. The ministry said Friday it
required more time before responding.
Kyodo reported in late May, quoting former vice foreign ministers, that a
Japan-U.S. secret accord regarding the handling of nuclear weapons has been
managed by top Foreign Ministry officials and only a handful of prime ministers
and foreign ministers were informed of the fact.
At the time, the ministry gave a written comment denying the existence of such
a secret deal between the two countries on the handling of nuclear weapons.
==Kyodo