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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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1
posted on
04/21/2004 1:11:27 PM PDT
by
quidnunc
To: quidnunc
read later
To: quidnunc
Anything to do with the new Godzilla movie?
3
posted on
04/21/2004 1:13:49 PM PDT
by
TheBigB
("If my deepest, darkest despair had choreography -- *this* would be it." -Tom Servo)
To: quidnunc
Prime Minister Koizumi simply refused to go Spanish in the face of terror threats Ooooh. That's cold. I like it... catchy phrase!
4
posted on
04/21/2004 1:14:31 PM PDT
by
glock rocks
(Please pray for our patriot armed forces in harm's way - and the families awaiting their safe return)
To: quidnunc
Nippon is still mightly pissed at NK for the kidnapping of its citizens.
To: quidnunc
This is good news!
To: quidnunc
Prime Minister Koizumi simply refused to go Spanish in the face of terror threats
7
posted on
04/21/2004 1:16:31 PM PDT
by
kcvl
To: AmericanInTokyo
Come take your bow...you deserve it.
You broke this first.
8
posted on
04/21/2004 1:17:15 PM PDT
by
mabelkitty
(John Kerry is the sad clown of life.)
To: mabelkitty; AmericanInTokyo
bttt
9
posted on
04/21/2004 1:17:52 PM PDT
by
kcvl
To: quidnunc
FAKED it? And we aren't hearing about this why (other than the anti-intelligence Leftmedia)?!?!?
10
posted on
04/21/2004 1:18:35 PM PDT
by
jcb8199
To: quidnunc
11
posted on
04/21/2004 1:19:01 PM PDT
by
Guillermo
("Oh yeah? Well if you do it again, I'm gonna have only one word for you: 'Outta here.'" - Paul Sr.)
To: quidnunc; AmericanInTokyo
Ping!
To: AmericanInTokyo
Way To Go Buddy! Ya did it again!
13
posted on
04/21/2004 1:19:15 PM PDT
by
cmsgop
( "I'm Sick, You're Sick, Were All Sick Of Gorelick !Well said sir!)
To: quidnunc
Hey we heard about the faker fooler here a long time ago.
14
posted on
04/21/2004 1:21:32 PM PDT
by
jjm2111
To: quidnunc
Those three Faked it?! They'll be hell to pay if this is in fact true. The media spun this in their circus and tried their best to make the coalition look bad. God Bless the Japanese who still support us and God Bless our own troops abroad! Peace. :)
15
posted on
04/21/2004 1:23:54 PM PDT
by
PureSolace
(I love freedom.)
To: quidnunc
"No one, least of all Japans Asian neighbors, doubts Japans capability to become a serious military power, once the will is present. Fortunately, this time around, Japan is firmly anchored to the cause of human freedom and democracy." Something to ponder.
16
posted on
04/21/2004 1:24:37 PM PDT
by
Ditto
( No trees were killed in sending this message, but billions of electrons were inconvenienced.)
To: quidnunc
PLEASE let the secret be giant robots!
17
posted on
04/21/2004 1:24:41 PM PDT
by
Saturnalia
(My name is Matt Foley and I live in a VAN down by the RIVER.)
To: jcb8199
I believe that AmericanInTokyo broke it a while back here....
18
posted on
04/21/2004 1:25:01 PM PDT
by
cspackler
(There are 10 kinds of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't.)
To: quidnunc
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.
19
posted on
04/21/2004 1:25:13 PM PDT
by
Modernman
(Work is the curse of the drinking classes. -Oscar Wilde)
To: quidnunc; Hap; Xenalyte; humblegunner; Allegra; pax_et_bonum
Good post! I haven't seen or heard this anywhere else, which actually doesn't surprise me.
20
posted on
04/21/2004 1:26:43 PM PDT
by
Bacon Man
(Nothing is fool proof because fools are so ingenious.)
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