Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tried to brush off concerns Thursday that Japan could be dragged into a war involving the United States, saying the government’s security legislation allows the Self-Defense Forces to address every situation in a seamless manner to protect Japanese citizens.

“The Cabinet today approved a package of security bills to ensure peace for Japan and the world,” Abe said at a news conference at his office.

He vowed that Japan will not find itself involved in a war with another country.

“Some people have a vague concern that (Japan) will be dragged into a war the U.S. engages in. I say to them clearly here that such a situation will never happen,” he said, adding that Japan would use force only to protect its citizens.

Asked whether Japan would send the SDF in a logistics capacity to aid nations fighting the Islamic State group, Abe said this would not happen. He said Japan would offer nonmilitary aid, such as food and medical support, to refugees.

“We are in times in which no country can secure its safety alone”, Abe said, stressing the need to pass the legislation to extend the scope of the SDF’s reach overseas.

Japan is within range of most of North Korea’s ballistic missiles and a number of Japanese have fallen prey to terrorism, Abe said.

“We are living in an era where threats can easily cross borders,” he repeated.

According to one of the bills, Japan would be allowed in certain circumstances to exercise the right to collective self-defense, or coming to the aid of an ally that is under armed attack even when Japan itself is not.

Collective defense, which was banned until the government decided last year to reinterpret, rather than amend, the Constitution, would be allowed only when an attack poses a “clear danger” to Japan’s survival, is carried out on a country with which Tokyo has “close ties,” and when there are “no other appropriate means” to protect Japanese citizens.

According to the bill, those determinations would be made by a National Security Council meeting consisting of nine people: the prime minister, the foreign and defense ministers, and six other ministers. The NSC participants would then draft a plan to deal with the collective defense situation and submit it to the full Cabinet for approval.

At that point, according to the bill, the Diet could theoretically be bypassed to deploy troops. This is because it states that the consent of the legislature is only required “in principle,” allowing approval to be sought retroactively, or after the fact, to provide flexibility in emergencies.

This is different from the permanent law envisioned for SDF logistics missions to support foreign militaries fighting abroad, which would require Diet approval ‘without exception.’ ”

Abe said the bills contain “strict brakes” on the use of collective defense and that it’s inaccurate to call them “war legislation.”

Abe also said passage of the legislation, together with the strengthened Japan-U.S. alliance, will help raise Japan’s deterrent power and decrease the chances of being targeted for attack.

He said Japan it will allow Japan to make further contributions to international peace and stability and expand the SDF’s activities during peacekeeping operations abroad.