Factbox: Key points of Japan resolution on security policy shift

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet took a historic step away from its post-war pacifism on Tuesday, by ending a ban that has kept the military from fighting abroad since its defeat in World War two. Following are some key points of the resolution, which ends a decades-old ban on exercising the right of collective self-defense, or militarily aiding a friendly country under attack, as well as examples of cases in which Japan might exercise that right. * The key paragraph noted that "However, in light of the situation in which the security environment surrounding Japan has been fundamentally transformed and continuously evolving by shifts in the global power balance ... even an armed attack occurring against a foreign country could actually threaten Japan's survival, depending on its purpose, scale and manner." * According to the cabinet resolution, Japan could exercise force to the minimum degree necessary in cases where a country with which it has close ties is attacked and the following conditions are met: there is a threat to the existence of the Japanese state, there is a clear danger that the people's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness could be subverted, and there is no appropriate alternative. * The resolution also would relax limits on activities in U.N.-led peace-keeping operations and "grey zone" incidents that fall short of full-scale war, according to a draft of the resolution. * The resolution leaves some ambiguity about whether Japan can engage in multilateral collective security operations, such as the 1990-1991 Gulf War or the U.S.-led war in Iraq, but Abe has said Japan will not take part in such operations. * Parliament will now have to revise relevant laws, including the Self-Defense Forces Law, a law regarding the response to armed attacks, the law concerning situations in areas surrounding Japan, and the law on peace-keeping operations. Restrictions could be imposed in the legislative process. * Examples floated by the government of what the change could allow Japan's military to do range from defending a U.S. ship evacuating Japanese nationals and aiding a U.S. ship under attack near Japan to shooting down a ballistic missile headed for U.S. territory and taking part in international mine-sweeping operations when a conflict has closed vital sea lanes. * Some of the scenarios, however, have been dismissed by experts as a public relations exercise to persuade voters of the need for the change, rather than real possibilities. Japan might, for example, be too busy coping with North Korean missiles headed for its territory to shoot down ones headed for America, some experts said. Unforeseen contingencies are also likely to arise. (Reporting by Linda Sieg and Elaine Lies; Editing by Ron Popeski)