Panel to urge Japan to lift ban on collective defense for allies under attack
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A government panel will urge Japan to allow its military to help allies that come under attack, in a major reversal of the country's ban on collective defense under its pacifist constitution.
The panel is expected to present its near-final draft recommendation later Tuesday.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants Japan to play a greater role in international peacekeeping and step up its defense posture, citing potential military threats from China and North Korea.
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The panel says the revision is possible by altering the government's interpretation of the war-renouncing constitution. Formal constitutional amendment involves high hurdles, though Abe eventually hopes to achieve that.