Japan halts Iraq troop dispatch

CNN ^ | November 13, 2003 | AP

[yonif]

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- The attack on Italian forces in Iraq will force Japan to postpone its dispatch of troops to that country until sometime next year, a top government spokesman said Thursday.

Japan was hoping to send its first batch of troops to Iraq to help rebuild the country by the end of 2003. But Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said the security situation is not yet stable enough.

[bonesmccoy]

what is it with you and your incessant postings pontificating the rationale of a nation you are neither a citizen of nor a government that you are a representative of?

Your comments are so ill-informed regarding the Japanese and Japan's foreign policies that you appear to be a "wedge" agent attempting to spin-cycle their decisions.

Are you a Japanese gov't representative or a Japanese citizen?

[bonesmccoy]

Why should the Japanese help us?

They've already chucked billions of yen at the problem and they've already had an election in which Koizumi's party has lost 10% of their house seats... Bush is starting to look like a loser in Iraq.

Why stand with losers on a street corner when you can go have some fun somewhere else?

[bonesmccoy]

autoresponder = kneeJERK

[bonesmccoy]

weak answer... no matter what you say, you can't cover up racist generalizations... which this thread is replete with...

the degree of anti-Japanese racism on this board is remarkable... what it really shows is how WEAK and COWARDLY these racists are.

[skeeter]

Mishima Yukio was the last Kamikaze.

Mishima was a bit of a nut. Talented, but a nut who was into some pretty kinky stuff.

The novel Kinkakuji provides some good insight into his thinking.

[bonesmccoy]

I agree... I believe the POTUS said two years ago that we were not into "nation building"... the WH needs to heed his advice.

[holdmuhbeer]

Chickenshits. whatever happened to the brave japanese.

[No Blue States]

"Why should the Japanese help us?"

Because its a worthy cause, and to keep from appearing weak to the same terrorists.

"They've already chucked billions of yen at the problem and they've already had an election in which Koizumi's party has lost 10% of their house seats... Bush is starting to look like a loser in Iraq."

I think you srae looking like a loser on FR. Why stand with losers on a street corner when you can go have some fun somewhere else?

You might fit in better at DU.

[KantianBurke]

Why should the Japanese help us?

They've already chucked billions of yen at the problem and they've already had an election in which Koizumi's party has lost 10% of their house seats... Bush is starting to look like a loser in Iraq.

Why stand with losers on a street corner when you can go have some fun somewhere else?

Mega Bump.

[CMAC51]

>> What! No bonsai? <<

Bonsai is a miniture tree, Banzai is the cry of the Japanese warrior of the past. Apparently the Japanes warrior of today has Gonads picked from the Bonsai tree.

[Mortimer Snavely]

How many years have you spent in Japan, young bonesmccoy? How long have you worked 18 hours a day, six days a week, for Japanese companies? How much Japanese can you speak?

After living there for ten years, I can, without hesitation, say that Japan has the single most racist society I have ever experienced. Japanese are, by and large, so racist that they cannot imagine a society that is not so. They are, however, keenly aware of the effect that a charge of racism has on Westerners, particularly Americans. It is enough in most cases to squelch any criticism of Japan's political process.

It is possible to talk about any nation in the world in a skeptical and critical manner, except for Japan, in which case such criticism is immediately derided as racist. The intended effect is to silence opposition.

Being racist and being Japanese are so intertwined that racism is not seen as a form of deviance, but as normal.

[CMAC51]

>> Then we are owed an apology for that sitcom like moment when Bush was on the aircraft carrier when we were told the war was over. <<


I missed that sitcom. I saw the news broadcast where Bush declared major combat operations over. Exactly where was the last major combat operation since then? (I suggest looking up major in the dictionary prior to answering)

[spunkets]

Thanks, Banzai it is.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Oh so the carrier landing was just a "very special episode" of the war sitcom?

In socialist Sydney Australia they gave their honorable troops a ticker-tape parade. OURS deserved at least that. The carrier landing of our CinC thanking the troops was absolutely appropriate!

I'm still waiting for the ticker-tape parade from the ungrateful, self-righteous Americans sitting in their safe homes near loved ones, free to say whatever they please - thanks to our troops, past and present.

[Let's Roll]

Then why call them "troops"? They are construction workers - whose help is appreciated but they aren't troops.

Many countries are going to have to come to grips with this - they are being controlled by a few pounds of explosives amd minimal effort on the part of their enemies relatively speaking. N Korea doesn't even need nukes.

[AmericanInTokyo]

They saw what happened to the Italians and they have freaked out. Nasiriyah of course is where they were headed. Japanese public opinion will not long support SDF forces there if they come back dead or seriously wounded.

Since it is a parliamentary democracy that we crafted, we cannot force them to do anything. They need to be a little more visionary, IMHO, but no people really wants to send their soldiers off to a far land...except a few countries I can think of that have policemen complexes. At any rate, I'd say we are going out on a limb here by ourselves and need a string of good luck.

[Connservative]

The only real way to do that is to put all of the Iraqis in camps. Everyone calling us imperialists and fascists will look at this as proof.

[AmericanInTokyo]

If they (Japan) go they will be highly targeted by al Qaeda, al Aqsa Martrys Brigade, Ansar al Islam, Ba'athists or whoever else is over there, as part of a clever psy war operation. They know the soft underbelly of the Japanese population, easily intimidated unless directly attacked. Their UN mission in Cambodia is instructive.

[Former Proud Canadian]

I hate to admit it, but I chuckled at your comment.

[WOSG]

Of the 24 million Iraqis, the vast majority support us or at least are thankful and want us there until they build up their own country.

Who opposes us are only a few thousand terrorist evildoers.

We dont need a camp for any Iraqis. We need enough rope to hang the terrorists... but the trick is finding them first.