It shifts the whole emphasis of the security treaty between the two countries away from defending the Japanese archipelago towards dealingwithconflicts in the region surrounding Japan.
More than 30 years ago the U.S. Department of Labor devised a mechanism for dealingwith problematic conflicts of interest, governance and internal control issues within corporate pension plans.
"It is a command structure that is aiming to help provide military assistance to African nations so African nations are more capable of dealingwith Africa's conflicts - like peacekeeping training, " he said.
As key Western allies and important regional players, their support and clout is needed in dealingwith many of the region's intractable conflicts: in Lebanon, Iraq, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the ongoing stand-off with Iran.
And is there any procedures in place here at the White House now that -- the government owns a large share of GM -- about having procedures in place for potential conflicts of interest in terms of commenting on other cars and dealingwith these safety recalls could be a sticky issue.