TOKYO -- Japanese lawmakers showed support Thursday for developing new systems to head off missile threats in enemy territory, recognizing the limits of an approach that relies purely on intercepting incoming attacks.
The draft recommendation approved by a team in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party does not specifically mention striking enemy bases -- a topic that has been debated since June, when plans to deploy the Aegis Ashore land-based missile shield were suspended -- but implicitly encourages Japan to develop such capabilities.