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Big News Brewing in Japan?
The American Thinker ^
| April 21, 2004
| Thomas Lifson
Posted on 04/21/2004 1:11:26 PM PDT by quidnunc
Almost unnoticed by the American press, the aftermath of Japans hostage crisis in Iraq is developing in a direction which may have permanent and serious positive implications for American foreign and military policies.
Prime Minister Koizumis response to the kidnapping of the first three Japanese taken hostage in Iraq marked a watershed in Japans posture for dealing with external threats. Prime Minister Koizumi simply refused to go Spanish in the face of terror threats against his citizens. As the Wall Street Journal notes (link requires subscription), Japan had previously embraced the notion that the lives of hostages must be paramount. In the words of former Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda, who capitulated to Japanese Red Army airplane hijackers, human life is heavier than the Earth."
Having watched the Red Army metastasize into a far larger and bloodier threat in the aftermath, Japan has learned some lessons. The specter of a nuclear-armed North Korea lobbing missiles over the Japanese Archipelago has also done wonders for the strengthening of the Japanese national spine.
Despite large public anti-war demonstrations and tearful pleas from relatives of the hostages, the public has been strongly backing Koizumi's tough stance.
Now, a steady stream of news, much of it leaked from governmental sources, is hinting that the first three hostages may have faked their kidnapping. If and when these suspicions becomes provable, the public backlash in Japan against the anti-war left could be fearsome, and drive Japans foreign policy even further toward muscular collaboration with American defense efforts. Given Japans formidable economic and technological resources , the coalition of the willing would benefit substantially for a long time to come.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Japan
KEYWORDS: japanesehostages; radicalleftists; visualizewhirledpeas
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To: glock rocks
Prime Minister Koizumi simply refused to go Spanish in the face of terror threats
Very sucient comment
21
posted on
04/21/2004 1:30:58 PM PDT
by
al baby
(Hope I don't get into trouble for this)
To: quidnunc
There were several threads that "outed" one of the hostages as a leftist fascist who hated American and sympathized with the Islamic vermin.
I don't know if the kidnapping was staged between the Japanese fascists and the Islamofascists.
I will say this though: if this is exposed as true, the leftists and Islamofascists will have awoken a Japanese sleeping giant, and filled him with a terrible resolve.
22
posted on
04/21/2004 1:31:26 PM PDT
by
SkyPilot
To: Modernman
Mark my words- Japan will become a nuclear power by the end of this decade.
Mark my words they will have "pocket" nukes soon Like a sony nuke man
23
posted on
04/21/2004 1:32:54 PM PDT
by
al baby
(Hope I don't get into trouble for this)
To: Bacon Man
24
posted on
04/21/2004 1:34:17 PM PDT
by
Republican Red
("I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it,")
To: quidnunc
There were early indications that the Japanese hostages were peaceniks. Presumably the government has known that for some time but has deliberated what would be the best way to deal with such a situation. If true, this is good news.
25
posted on
04/21/2004 1:35:13 PM PDT
by
Cicero
(Marcus Tullius)
To: al baby
The "nukeman", it will hold 5,000 mp3's and level a city the size of Wichita...
To: AmericanInTokyo
Ping! What are you hearing over there?
27
posted on
04/21/2004 1:38:27 PM PDT
by
livius
To: Republican Red
Wow I totally missed those. I'm obviously not spending enough time surfing. Need to fix that. ;)
28
posted on
04/21/2004 1:42:35 PM PDT
by
Bacon Man
(Nothing is fool proof because fools are so ingenious.)
To: quidnunc
There is one thing I've always said about the Japanese:
They are not cowards!
29
posted on
04/21/2004 1:52:03 PM PDT
by
Iron Matron
(Civil Disobedience? It's not just for liberals anymore!)
To: quidnunc
Yukio Mishima would be proud.
To: Cicero
There were early indications that the Japanese hostages were peaceniks.
Really? Working againts the coalition?
Too bad they weren't set on fire.
31
posted on
04/21/2004 1:53:10 PM PDT
by
Iron Matron
(Civil Disobedience? It's not just for liberals anymore!)
To: Modernman
Mark my words- Japan will become a nuclear power by the end of this decade.Is Japan still running those Breeder reactors. If so, they have plenty of plutonium to make bombs. Nukes in 2 years, at the outside, from the day of a decision.
32
posted on
04/21/2004 1:54:02 PM PDT
by
Tallguy
(Cannot rate this Reserve Freepers fitness: Not observed on this thread.)
To: Skip Ripley
The "nukeman", it will hold 5,000 mp3's and level a city the size of Wichita... Accessories will include stylish but uncomfortable headphones, a DC converter for car charging, and a built-in 30 minute doomsday countdown timer.
33
posted on
04/21/2004 1:55:30 PM PDT
by
kevkrom
(The John Kerry Songbook: www.imakrom.com/kerrysongs)
To: SkyPilot
I wonder, given the English in the signs, who exactly they are trying to convert to their cause.
To: quidnunc
From the American Thinker artcle:
"Kyodo News Service of Japan reports that the Japanese government plans to charge the three hostages for the costs of the chartered airplane which took them from Iraq to Dubai immediately after their release. The government reckons this bill at 660,000 yen (approximately $6000). Meanwhile, the Asahi quotes a senior ruling party official as saying that the total cost to the government of the incident is about two billion yen (approximately $18.46 million dollars), which some influential politicians want to bill directly to the families of the hostages, if only for symbolic value"
Wow, that's some symbolism. Hope her tearful family wasn't in on the scam 'cause it looks like they'll get stuck with the bill.
35
posted on
04/21/2004 1:56:03 PM PDT
by
Republican Red
("I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it,")
To: Tallguy
Is Japan still running those Breeder reactors. If so, they have plenty of plutonium to make bombs. Nukes in 2 years, at the outside, from the day of a decision. I strongly suspect that it's nukes in about 2 days from decision.
I would be shocked if Japan does not have all the elements of nukes ready to go in separate parts ready for assembly and, amazingly enough, the nukes just happen to fit on ballistic missles Japan has in the closet that just happen to have enough range to hold all of China and NK at risk.
Any takers on that bet :)
To: Modernman
Japan is waking up from it's 55 year slumber. The world is getting more and more dangerous and the US can't protect everyone. The free world needs Japan to step up and take its place as one of the world's great powers. Mark my words- Japan will become a nuclear power by the end of this decade.
About time. Of course, let us hope that Japan's and the USA's interests always coincide.
37
posted on
04/21/2004 2:03:22 PM PDT
by
Centurion2000
(Resolve to perform what you must; perform without fail that what you resolve.)
To: ModelBreaker
...amazingly enough, the nukes just happen to fit on ballistic missles Japan has in the closet that just happen to have enough range to hold all of China and NK at risk.The Japanese already have a rocket capable of lifting a payload into orbit, so by definition, they already have at least an IRBM capability -- all they need in that neighborhood.
38
posted on
04/21/2004 2:07:03 PM PDT
by
Tallguy
(Cannot rate this Reserve Freepers fitness: Not observed on this thread.)
To: Bacon Man; Hap; Allegra; Xenalyte; pax_et_bonum
Cool!
There may be Samurai left after all.
To: humblegunner; Hap; Allegra; Xenalyte; pax_et_bonum
Cool!
There may be Samurai left after all. Yes it's good to know there's still honor and courage in the Japaneese. Plus you know they make really cool cartoons. :)
40
posted on
04/21/2004 2:15:54 PM PDT
by
Bacon Man
(Nothing is fool proof because fools are so ingenious.)
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