: I think I've seen this comment from you three times, kingj.  I'm not sure where your argument is, that international laws should just be ignored and we go on moral imperative?  Wikipedia for one explicitly disallows using "moral" arguments.  The UN doesn't stop the Korean patrols or the Japanese patrols around the islands.  They stay out of this issue.  Korea explicitly refuses to go to any internation arbitration regarding this issue.  The fact is both countries mirror one another in almost every way regarding the islands essentially without residents (no towns, cities, and so on). Cheers,