Newsletter No. 569
News-Analysis
April 2, 2007

 

CABINET EXTENDS ASDF IRAQ MISSION FOR TWO MORE YEARS

On March 30th the Abe Cabinet officially extended the ASDF mission in Iraq for two-years in the face of the 69% of the Japanese public that says that they want the mission ended now. The public comment of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was “Our work in Iraq has been highly praised… We'd like to live up to the expectations of the international community.”

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack responded: “The Japanese forces have been very important in providing logistical and air support into Iraq... and we very much appreciate the fact that that effort is being renewed.”

So, once again, Tokyo is ignoring the clear will of the Japanese people in order to satisfy their American allies -- even though just about everything that they’ve said and done about Iraq since 2002 has proven to be wrong.

As for the official mantra about “the expectations of the international community” (which the Japanese conservatives now routinely conflate with US policy no matter how isolated in world opinion Washington’s policy may in fact be), DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa put it well enough: “The Iraq war is not based on a consensus of the international community.” The DPJ is also planning to submit a bill in the Diet abolishing the law which permits the Iraq deployment. Of course, this is only symbolic in its significance, since the LDP and New Komeito hold a commanding majority in both houses.

All in all, more of the same: Tokyo just follows the Bush administration line (while pretending to serve Iraq, the UN, the international community, etc., etc.), and nothing else matters. They don’t even think that a serious public explanation about their comprehensive Iraq policy is due.

More Newspaper Editorials

In Shingetsu Newsletter No. 558, we presented a very strong editorial by the Asahi Shinbun on the Iraq War. Regrettably, both the Japan Times and the Yomiuri were unable to produce editorials that were even half as good.

Once again, I really don’t know what the Japan Times is trying to say. I often get the feeling that these guys only write some editorials because they have a space to fill on the page, not because they actually have anything substantial to relate. Their conclusion (for what it is worth) was the following: “The world cannot afford failure in Iraq. But the lesson of this awful episode in human history is the need for careful consideration of and far more respect for how things can deviate from plans. In short, Iraq should teach us greater humility in foreign policy.” -- Why don’t they just come out and say something real?

The Yomiuri is at least clear: They back the government’s position to the hilt, even going so far as to attack the opposition DPJ’s policy on Iraq. The Yomiuri -- like the government -- tries to cloak its arguments under the mantle of the United Nations (even though they argued that the UN should be ignored in March 2003 at the outset of the war). It’s just the same dishonest arguments as always. Here is an excerpt:

“It is natural that Japan, as a member of the international community, would continue to support the efforts of the United Nations and 26 countries to prevent the collapse of Iraq and pave the way for its reconstruction. The government has submitted to the Diet a bill to revise the special law on our country's role in the reconstruction of Iraq by extending by two years the Air Self-Defense Force's activities, which comprises air transportation support. The bill must be passed during the current session... Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki rates the ASDF activities highly, saying the Japanese personnel play a major and indispensable role. They also play a support role to the United Nations. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon called them an important means of transporting personnel and goods… DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa calls the war on Iraq an ‘egoistic action’ by the Bush administration, adding ‘Japan needs to decide to not blindly follow the United States, correcting that country's mistakes.’ Is it justifiable for Japan to take a ‘wait and see’ stance and do nothing as Iraq implodes? The DPJ calls for Japan's participation in U.N. peacekeeping activities. Opposing the extension appears to contradict this policy as Irbil is home to a U.N. base and the ASDF is in the country on the behest of the world body. The DPJ should be clear during Diet deliberations about how it believes the current Iraqi situation should be dealt with.”

MOFA ANNOUNCEMENT: MEETING BETWEEN VICE-PRESIDENT TARIQ AL-HASHIMI AND FOREIGN MINISTER TARO ASO
March 27, 2007

On March 23, Mr. Tariq Al-Hashimi, Vice President of Iraq currently visiting Japan, met with Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs, for about 30 minutes from 5:10 p.m. The outline of their talks is as follows (the meeting was attended from the Iraqi side by: Dr. Ghanim A. Al-Jumaily, Iraqi Ambassador to Japan, Mr. Sameraii, Special Advisor to the Vice President, and others; and from the Japanese side by Mr. Norihiro Okuda, Director-General of the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau, and Mr. Ogawa, Ambassador in charge of reconstruction assistance to Iraq, and others).

1. In the meeting, opinions were exchanged on Japan-Iraq relations including Japan’s efforts for reconstruction assistance to Iraq and the situation in Iraq.

2. On Japan-Iraq relations, Vice President Al-Hashimi expressed gratitude for Japan’s assistance extended so far for reconstruction of Iraq, including the activities of the Japan Self-Defense Force Units in Samawah and economic cooperation, and also expressed a wish for the Special Measures Law on Iraq to be extended. Mr. Aso said that Japan’s commitment to the reconstruction of Iraq remains unwavering and its efforts would be continued.

3. The Iraqi side expressed its appreciation for the National Reconciliation Seminar to be held in Japan from March 25. Both sides agreed on the necessity of patience in tackling the recovery of security and national reconciliation in Iraq.