No amount of heckling, arm flailing, or banging on a committee chairman's desk could stop the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe railroading a controversial state intelligence bill through a parliamentary debate Thursday.

In ramming the draft legislation through a special committee on national security, Mr. Abe made abundantly clear he was willing to use the force of greater numbers in his drive to strengthen national security, a tactic he could use again for other parts of his policy agenda.

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