日本能信任奧巴馬嗎？

http://chinese.wsj.com/big5/20140425/BRF104123.asp?source=UpFeature

美國新聞網站lubbockonline.com 4月24日刊登了一篇題為《日本能信任奧巴馬嗎？》的評論文章。該文說，奧巴馬訪日期間提到中日釣魚島爭端時稱，中日兩國應通過對話和外交手段而不是軍事行動來解決這一爭端，日本對奧巴馬的這一表態感到非常擔憂，它確實應該擔心。文章說，日本已經看到，奧巴馬給敘利亞阿薩德政權劃定的“紅線”已經消失，日本還看到，俄羅斯軍隊未受到任何抵抗就佔領了克裡米亞， 而奧巴馬和美國政府只不過告訴普京，他的幾名高級助手將無法獲得赴美簽証，這樣他們就去不成迪士尼樂園了。

文章說，奧巴馬動身訪日前接受日本《讀賣新聞》書面採訪時曾明確表示，美日安保條約適用於釣魚島，日本媒體當時曾興奮地宣稱這是美國首次有在任總統明確做此表態，但看了奧巴馬在日本的相關講話後，人們有理由認為奧巴馬並沒有真的安撫日本。

http://lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/donald-r-may/2014-04-24/can-japan-trust-obama#.U1r6efldWSo

Can Japan Trust Obama?

Submitted by Donald R. May on April 24, 2014 - 1:12am

President Barack Obama arrived in Japan to shore up strained relations with Japan and to give added assurances that the United States has Japan’s back against an increasingly belligerent China.

The Japanese are nervous.  They want to believe the United States will help to protect them.  The Japan News tried to be upbeat about the visit and Obama’s assurances,

President Barack Obama—for the first time as an incumbent U.S. president—clearly stated the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture are subject to Article 5 of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, in a written reply to questions submitted by The Yomiuri Shimbun.

“The policy of the United States is clear—the Senkaku Islands are administered by Japan and therefore fall within the scope of Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security. And we oppose any unilateral attempts to undermine Japan’s administration of these islands,” the U.S. leader stated ahead of his visit to Japan starting Wednesday.

Article 5 stipulates U.S. defense obligations to Japan, which apply to territories under the administration of Japan. Obama’s comment therefore means the United States will defend Japan in the event of a Chinese incursion on the islets, over which China also claims sovereignty.

Mentioning “mutual interest” between the United States and China, Obama said his country will “deal directly and candidly” with China over differences on such issues. He also stressed that maritime issues should be handled constructively. “Disputes need to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, not intimidation and coercion,” the president said.

Obama mentioned “dialogue and diplomacy” but no military actions.  This has the Japanese very worried, as they should be.

Japan has watched as Obama has done nothing to stop North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile production efforts rapidly increase.

Japan has watched Obama restrain Israel from taking out Iran’s nuclear weapons program when such an action was still possible.

Japan has watched Obama remove sanctions from Iran, allowing Iran to improve its economy while building nuclear weapons.

Japan has watched Saudi Arabia and Turkey begin their own nuclear weapons development programs because of Obama’s lack of support of Israel and lack of opposition to Iran.

Japan has watched Obama’s “red lines” in Syria disappear.  They have seen the Assad Regime use chlorine gas on the opposition, the same gas used by Germany in the Trench Warfare of World War I.

Japan has watched Putin’s Russian troops take over Crimea without any resistance other than Obama and his Administration telling Putin a few of his top advisors would not get visas so they could visit Disney World.

Japan has watched Putin move into Eastern Ukraine.  They have seen Obama deny guns and ammunition to Ukraine but send socks and MRE military food rations.

Japan has watched Obama bolster Poland’s defenses with a small group of only 150 U.S. military personnel.

From what Fox News reported, one would expect Obama does not comfort Japan,

China and Japan have conflicting claims to the remote islands, called Senkaku by Japan and Diaoyu by China. The dispute has badly strained relations between the two Asian powers.

A U.S.-Japan defense treaty requires Washington to come to Japan's defense if it is attacked. Obama said his defense of that treaty is not a new position.

"The treaty between the U.S. and Japan preceded my birth, so obviously this isn't the red line that I'm drawing," the president said.

A Chinese government spokesman has said China has "indisputable sovereignty" over the islands and that "the so-called Japan-U.S. alliance" should not harm China's territorial rights.

Obama said he wants the maritime issue to be worked out "through dialogue." He urged the two sides to "keep the rhetoric low."

"It would be a profound mistake to continue to see escalation around this issue instead of dialogue," Obama said he told Abe during a private meeting.

One might expect Japan will start looking more strongly to India for a military alliance and possibly even shared nuclear weapons.  South Korea and Taiwan will also be looking an new alliances.

Obama’s Peace Through Weakness foreign policy is making the World a much more dangerous place.  Japan, China, Putin, Iran, and everyone else have noticed and are closely watching.