Japan Supporting U.S. Invasion of Iraq

It is time to stop pretending that Japan is on the sidelines in the coming war. Japan’s opportunistic Liberal Democratic Party (Ž©—R–¯“}?j leaders, fondly remembering the days of colonialism and the Pacific War that they still pretend was fought to liberate Asia from the Western Imperialists, are now JOINING the Americans in a new imperial war on Iraq. Under the pretense of making an “international contribution” the Japanese will, more than ever before, actually lend a helping hand in killing Iraqi civilians. This is not completely new as Japanese money financed the war of 12 years ago and has helped to maintain the sanctions regime that has killed hundreds of thousands of people in the intervening years.

Trying to sell an increasingly violent stance to the public, the Japanese government appeals to people’s sense of guilt, saying that it is “not enough” to send money. No, it is not enough. Now they have to directly participate in the killing, and call it internationalism at the same time. Lies, lies, lies. Shame!

Here is an article on the subject from the Agence France Press

TOKYO, Dec 23 (AFP) – Japan has unofficially offered its support for a US-led attack on Iraq to make up for its belated and largely unappreciated support for the Gulf War in 1991, a report said Monday. The government gave its unofficial pledge of support to US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage this month in Tokyo, Kyodo news agency reported, citing unidentified sources close to the government.

The foreign ministry could not be reached for comment Monday, a public holiday.

The early offer reflects the fact that Japan’s belated support for US-led attacks on Iraq in January 1991 did not receive meaningful appreciation in the international community, the sources said.

The announcement shows Japan does not want to make the same “mistake” again, Kyodo reported the sources as saying.

Armitage was in Japan from December 8 to 10 and met Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and top cabinet ministers to drum up support for a possible war with Iraq and to thank Japan for its support in the military campaign in Afghanistan.

Japan sent a hi-tech Aegis destroyer to the Indian Ocean last week to protect Japanese vessels’ refueling of US military ships, a type of rear-guard support that the government says does not violate the nation’s peace constitution.