Posted on 09/09/2007 7:16:43 AM PDT by Ghayyour
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said he may resign if he fails to win parliamentary approval to extend the country's mission in Afghanistan. Mr Abe said he would do the utmost to keep his promise to the US on the mission, but had "no intention of staying" as PM if MPs blocked the move.
He was speaking in Sydney, at a summit of Asia Pacific leaders (Apec).
The opposition controls the upper house and can stall talks on the mission beyond its expiry date on 1 November.
The mission involves Japanese vessels in the Indian Ocean providing refuelling and other logistical support to US military planes.
Mr Abe has been facing calls to resign ever since his Liberal Democratic Party suffered a crushing defeat in July's upper house election.
The result was partly blamed on a series of scandals that had engulfed several of his ministers.
More than 50% of the Japanese public are opposed to extending the Afghan mission, according to a recent poll.
A liberal democrat with convictions...rare....
But, but, but, I thought Afghanistan was the “Good War?”
Liberal Democrats and scandals? What’s new here? It’s not about standing up for America; it’s about finding a reason to resign and save face. It is like someone quits his/her job, just before they would be fired.
Just one more country that doesn’t like to even assist with funding its own defense and security.
Whatever. Those are the same polls that tell us people here don't want to fight a war on terrorism, would love to be overrun by illegal aliens, and whose only care in the world is where to get the next version of iPod. You have that percentage in society, but it is FAR from the majority!
LOL, they’re only refuling and the populace doesn’t feel the need to continue the support? Whew, such devotion to world stability.
Operation Iraqi Freedom = socialism on the march all over the world.
“... only care in the world is where to get the next version of iPod.”
The new iPod Touch starts shipping on Sept 28. You can order it online now at Apple.com & Amazon.com.
You’re on a Breaking News vanity post roll!
The Liberal Democratic Party is the conservative party in Japan. Liberal has a different meaning outside of the US (i.e. classical economic liberalism, free markets).
“Liberal Democrats and scandals”
This is actually the Japanese conservative party - Abe is a right winger and good ally.
jERKS!
Yup, they're just fueling the support ships in the region...no fighting, etc.
日本＊ピング＊ (Nihon pingu)
Thanks for the correction. Japan has an interesting history of their political parties.
Yep, here the so-called liberals are the great defenders of the status quo and their answer for everything is more of the same. (More taxes, more deficit spending, more illegal aliens, more gun-control, more anti-war votes & media, more abortions, more govt. intervention, etc.)
Through and through.
Absolute corruption.
(Abe's feeble efforts at "governing" with his third rate cabinets).
The Japanese People can do much better.
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