Japan says no to Iraq troops withdrawal (+pictures of Japanese hostages)

[JCMach1]

Friday 09 April 2004, 8:01 Makka Time, 5:01 GMT

The kidnappers have threatened three hostages with death
Related:


Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is not contemplating troops withdrawal from Iraq despite the kidnapping of three Japanese civilians.

Asked whether he was considering withdrawing troops from Iraq, Koizumi on Friday said "No."

He said the most important thing was to ensure the safety of the three kidnapped Japanese and for them to be rescued.

A previously unknown Iraqi group abducted three Japanese citizens and vowed to "burn them alive" if Japanese troops did not leave Iraq within three days.

A chilling video of the hostages with heavily armed members of the group in the background was broadcast by Aljazeera...http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3C84384D-57E3-4D3C-974C-09ECE73C0B3A.htm

[madrchsod]

1. the pictures of the children

are also disturbing and we will never see them in the united states. those children will never see "freedom"

[QC]

5. Does one monstrous evil justify another one?

That seems to be your reasoning here.

Does the fact that Bush is an asshole automatically mean that people who threaten to incinerate relief workers alive are good people? Or could it be that they are both assholes?

[Piperay]

7. I agree

it's not a totally black and white World, assholes are not exclusive to only one side or the other. There is nothing wrong with feeling as bad for these Japanese hostages as one does for the Iraqis killed and the Americans who will never come home, one should have enough sorrow to go around.

[JCMach1]

2. You will also never see the FULL destroyed Abrams tank

video... CNN editied it down... You won't see critically wound U.S. soldiers on television...

What a crock...!!!

[Art_from_Ark]

3. So how does Koizumi plan to

"ensure the safety of the three kidnapped Japanese and get them rescued", since that is "the most important thing"?

[pinniped]

4. According to my Bizarro World conversion calculator...

you issue a statement like Koizumi did and then pretend it didn't happen.

[starroute]

14. My guess it will probably involve large sums of money

Distributed discretely into the right hands.

The Japanese tend to be a lot more subtle about these things than us ham-fisted Americans.

[Andrushka]

6. Editing down

Speaking of which, I found it most interesting that when I was watching this break last night (Japan time) on NHK (national broadcaster here in Japan), they said that the audio was not present on the tape, and ran the footage ad nausuem with no sound. Likewise today, other networks I have seen have no sound.

Yet, when I looked at the ABC (Australia) online news today, they had shouting and cries as the hapless hostages had their hair pulled and were roughed up.

I guess that perhaps the Japanese TV networks thought hearing the goings on in that tape might have been too much for the general public to bear. I don't think folks here in Japan could be any more alarmed by this news if they tried!

Koizumi was on the TV a few hours ago vowing not to "give into terrorists".

He gave into the demands of that terrorist in Crawford, didn't he? :shrug:

[JCMach1]

8. I also saw the EDITIED Japanese hostage footage

on CNN International this morning.

SANITIZED for your enjoyment.

[spinbaby]

11. I think the original video was silent

From the Aljazeera Web site:

Aljazeera television aired on Thursday a silent video of the three Japanese....


http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3C84384D-57E3-4D3C-974C-09ECE73C0B3A.htm

[Art_from_Ark]

12. You're right

I've seen the video clips on Asahi, TBS, Fuji TV-- none have any sound. Why is that? Would the sound be too much to bear? Would sound turn public opinion firmly against this whole sordid mess?

A TBS impromptu man-in-the-street survey revealed 27 of 50 people interviewed thought the SDF should be withdrawn. Would that number have been higher if the sound had been included in the video clips?

[cleofus1]

9. I lived in Japan for 3 years.

It doesn't matter how bad the war is. I'd be horrified to see these Japanese people set on fire. I hope they all get out alive. Deep down I guess I want everyone to get out alive. I have had lots of good friends and lovers in Japan and I know they are good people with big hearts. I don't know who these individuals are but I will pray for their safe return.

[leftchick]

10. Hundreds Protested in Tokyo Today.... Photo

[bread_and_roses]

13. I thought the Japanese troops were "humanitarian"

in mission? So let me get this straight - Japan is willing to let them be burned alive rather than withdraw "humanitarian" troops? This makes no sense.

[qb]

15. I suspect the Japanese leadership has a strong aversion

to appearing "weak"