Japan issues warning against Franco-Russo-German stance on Iraq

afp ^ | 2/12/03

[Ranger]

Japan issues warning against Franco-Russo-German stance on Iraq

Photo: AFP
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TOKYO (AFP) - Japan has warned that a declaration by France, Germany and Russia urging an alternative to a US-led war on Iraq could send the wrong message to the regime about the international community's resolve.

 

"There is a concern that this may give Iraq the wrong message," the government's top spokesman Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda told a news conference.

"It is necessary for the international community to react firmly to this situation with the same way of thinking," he said.

France, Russia and Germany on Monday issued a joint statement saying "there is still an alternative to war" and that the countries are "determined to give every chance to the disarmament of Iraq through peaceful means."

The three nations united behind proposals made last week by French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, which called for a doubling or tripling of the number of UN arms inspectors.

Fukuda said Japan doubted the commitment of Iraq to disarm despite its unconditional acceptance Monday of flyovers by U-2 spy planes to bolster UN inspections.

"They consent when asked, but we have doubts about whether they are truly committed to following UN Resolution 1441," Fukuda said.

UN Security Council Resolution 1441, adopted on November 8, gave Iraq one last chance -- after 12 years of past resolutions -- to give up the alleged pursuit of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, or face "serious consequences".

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said divisions over Iraq's attitude toward inspections would only work to Baghdad's benefit.

"The important thing now is (for the international community) not to break apart," she told reporters. "A division of opinion will only be used by Iraq."

She also dismissed the acceptance of U-2 spy planes as proof of Iraqi compliance. "This does not amount to pro-active cooperation. It is something they should have done all along."

[Trust but Verify]

"There is a concern that this may give Iraq the wrong message,"

Do ya think?

[MrConfettiMan]

The three nations united behind proposals...which called for a doubling or tripling of the number of UN arms inspectors.

The very notion that the inspectors, if only there are enough of them and if only they had enough time, are going to suddenly stumble upon an extremely large warehouse in the middle of the desert--like a mirage--containing all of Saddam's weapons of mass destruction is laughable.

[Dog Gone]

Maybe the French are doing us a favor. If the world was united, Saddam might start making concessions that would prevent or postpone a war, while actually continuing to hide his weapons.

With the world divided, Saddam has no reason to cooperate. Of course, Saddam is making another one of his major miscalculations. President Bush said that Saddam's game is over, and it doesn't matter what the French or anyone else say about it.

[phasma proeliator]

I'm starting to like the Japanese more and more.

[InvisibleChurch]

it will be interesting to see after saddam is defeated whether there will be proof that france/germany/belgium helped iraq build weapons of mass destruction

[b4its2late]

1. Good for Japan.

2. They better not give any notice to Iraq on U-2 flyovers.

3. They should not be called UN Inspectors, because Iraq is blocking every attempt to inspect anything. They should begin calling them UN Investigators.

[Psalm 73]

I understand what the French and Germans are up to, but why the heck is Russia crawling into bed with them?
Oh yeah - and a big THANX to our Japanese allies.

[nicmarlo]

She also dismissed the acceptance of U-2 spy planes as proof of Iraqi compliance. "This does not amount to pro-active cooperation. It is something they should have done all along."

But, don't the Japanese, whom we defeated, believe that we are only going after Iraq to take away their oil and spread out imperialistic tentacles? I mean, isn't that what we ALWAYS do to defeated countries? You mean, Japan, the country we bombed (albeit, this is very sad to have to have done), BELIEVES AMERICA, BELIEVES BUSH? and not Saddam? Wow, may wonders never ceases!!! < /sarcasm >

[MeekOneGOP]

Japan to SADdam: SAYA-NARA !!

[DoctorMichael]

Wow! This startled me!

The Japanese sit like Buddhas most of the time. They seem to comment very little about foreign affairs unless they are really pissed off about something in their OWN hemisphere (like Kim Jung Il sending a missle over their islands a few years back or Kim's recent radioactive-revelations).

So for them to comment on a Middle Eastern problem, AND be critical of OUR NATO partners...............very interesting.

[GraniteStateConservative]

We're finally seeing who is with us and who is against us-- and regular Joe American is seeing it, too (which is far more useful).

I bet the popularity of France, Germany, Belgium, and the UN are all down significantly-- which helps the agenda of our side just fine.

[GraniteStateConservative]

We've tried to say they are auditors-- that Hussein must lay everything out and let the UN auditors see that it is all accounted for and then destroyed.

[GraniteStateConservative]

This is a smart tactical move by the Japanese. There is a vacuum of non-American leadership in world affairs and Japan can decide to fill it since Germany and France don't want any part of it.

[MrConfettiMan]

My hunch is that's exactly what's going to happen.

[Walkin Man]

Gee, I guess we really do have some allies besides the Brits in this world, thanks Japan!

[mikhailovich]

Russia and France have huge financial interests in Iraq. Much of it is contracts, future contracts, that will prove very lucrative, especially for Russia. Couple that with an 8 billion dollar debt already incurred by Iraq, and Russia wants some cash-ola. I think, though, that Russia is more aligned with the US than either Germany or France. They (Russia) have been lobbied by the French in recent days to oppose or delay a war. I don't think for a second Russia would stand alone in opposition - she has a few holdouts to lean on, and if they cave, so will Russia. But I'm still peeved regardless.

[VRWC_minion]

it will be interesting to see after saddam is defeated whether there will be proof that france/germany/belgium helped iraq build weapons of mass destruction

A hunch. Maybe France and Germany want assurance from Bush that he would keep such cooperation secret after the war is over. Maybe Bush said no even though he knows that such a stand would mean no support from them.

[PsyOp]

Maybe the French are doing us a favor. If the world was united, Saddam might start making concessions that would prevent or postpone a war, while actually continuing to hide his weapons.

Shhh! We don't want to give them ideas for a last minute excuse to save face and join up. I'm sure their spin masters are already looking for plausible ways to do this

[Question_Assumptions]

For the most part, the Japanese are our friends. Really. Yes, they've got issues with nuclear weapons, submarine accidents, and guns but I think most Japanese know who protects them. Note that Godzilla rose out of the ocean in the first movie bringing atomic destruction to Japan, only to return as Japan's defender in almost all of the later movies. There is an alegory there that isn't lost on the Japanese.