Friday, January 16, 2004
CNN.com - Japan ground troops set to leave - Jan. 16, 2004
The move follows intense debate on the matter, stirred up by the killing of two Japanese diplomats in Iraq late last year.
The team was due to leave on Friday as police tightened security at government offices, nuclear power plants, airports and railway stations.
Media reports said late last year that terror group al Qaeda had warned Japan it would attack the heart of Tokyo as soon as Japanese troops arrived in Iraq.
After a send-off ceremony in Tokyo, about 30 members of the ground force were expected to leave for southeastern Iraq, where they will act as scouts for a force that could include up to 1,000 troops.
Details of the team's departure on a civilian aircraft have been kept under wraps for security reasons.
If Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba judges the area safe after team members report back, he will likely order the main body of around 600 ground troops to set off beginning in late January, according to a Reuters report...
Why does this conjure images of the movie Freaks and that chant..."One of us...one of us...one of us..." The Islamists promising to hit Japan if they don't do as they're told? Sounds familiar. Having their people in harm's way draws Japan closer to the US position, and given the Japanese sense of honor (particularly on Koizumi's right), I doubt they'll be too quick to cut and run if something goes wrong. Let's hope they don't, of course, for many reasons, not least of which is that it will affect Japan's willingness to engage in such efforts in the future.
