U.S. passes ball to Japan on 'collective self-defense' issue
Foreign affairsOct 29, 2013
Apparently walking a tightrope between its two key regional allies -- South Korea and Japan, the Obama administration continued efforts Monday not to be drawn into a brewing controversy over Tokyo's move to expand its military role.Japan's conservative Abe government is working to change the interpretation of the pacifist Constitution to allow the nation to exercise the right to "collective self-defense."It would allow Japan, long restricted to self-defense, to use force against a military attac