Defense Minister Gen Nakatani has triggered a backlash from opposition parties by saying the government's security bills won't end up putting Self-Defense Forces personnel at greater risk.
While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has stopped short of clarifying his view on the matter ahead of Diet deliberations Tuesday, Nakatani told a news conference Friday that the legislation "would not increase" the risk to SDF personnel who have already engaged in high-risk missions.
Democratic Party of Japan President Katsuya Okada objected to his claim. "Of course the risk will increase. It should be acknowledged," Okada pointed out.