TOKYO, OCT 27, SPA -- The U.S. ambassador to Japan urged Tokyo onFriday to consider taking on more responsibilities inmissile defense, and called for international cooperationin inspecting North Korean cargo to prevent proliferationof weapons technology, REPORTED AP. The U.S. and Japan are developing a joint missile defensesystem to counter the threat posed by North Korea. Earlierthis month, Washington deployed Patriot AdvancedCapability-3 missiles to the southern Japanese island ofOkinawa. But Japan's pacifist Constitution, which bans the use offorce in solving international conflicts, means it's notclear how far Tokyo can contribute to the defense program _for example, by shooting down a North Korean missile thatmight not be heading to Japan. «The United States would like an answer to whether aJapanese destroyer would shoot down that missile,»Ambassador Thomas Schieffer said. «The answer will beabsolutely critical to the function and future of ouralliance.» Tokyo and Washington are in the midst of reorganizing the50,000 U.S. troops across Japan to give Tokyo moreresponsibility for its defense. Japan's Parliament is alsodebating a bill that would upgrade the Defense Agency to aministry to boost its status within the government and putit in a better position to negotiate for funds. Japan is also trying to raise its stature overseas,sending troops to Iraq to assist U.S.-led operations there_ its most significant military deployment since World WarII. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to take stepstoward amending Japan's Constitution to pave the way formore overseas missions. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Schieffer also urgednations to cooperate in implementing a U.N. SecurityCouncil resolution passed after North Korea's nuclearweapons test on Oct. 9 which calls for inspections of allcargo to and from North Korea to prevent any trafficking innuclear weapons or ballistic missiles. There has been disagreement between nations on how farthose checks should go, with China balking at the prospectof halting and searching North Korean ships _ saying thatcould provoke a battle on the high seas. «If there are containers coming out of North Korea, we'dlike to have those containers inspected, whether in HongKong or Japan,» Schieffer said. «We need to approachenforcing sanctions in a multilateral way.» Schieffer defended Washington's refusal to hold bilateraltalks with North Korea, accusing it of trying to «divide aunited international community,» and urged the Northinstead to return to six-party talks on its nuclearambitions. He also said there was no room for negotiation on U.S. financial restrictions imposed on North Korea over allegedcounterfeiting and money laundering activities. «I can't see any government negotiating thecounterfeiting of its currency,» Schieffer said. «That'snot for negotiation.»--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/398406