Big News Brewing in Japan?

The American Thinker ^ | April 21, 2004 | Thomas Lifson

[quidnunc]

Almost unnoticed by the American press, the aftermath of Japan’s hostage crisis in Iraq is developing in a direction which may have permanent and serious positive implications for American foreign and military policies.

Prime Minister Koizumi’s response to the kidnapping of the first three Japanese taken hostage in Iraq marked a watershed in Japan’s posture for dealing with external threats. Prime Minister Koizumi simply refused to “go Spanish” in the face of terror threats against his citizens. As the Wall Street Journal notes (link requires subscription), Japan had previously embraced the notion that the lives of hostages must be paramount. In the words of former Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda, who capitulated to Japanese Red Army airplane hijackers, “human life is heavier than the Earth."

Having watched the Red Army metastasize into a far larger and bloodier threat in the aftermath, Japan has learned some lessons. The specter of a nuclear-armed North Korea lobbing missiles over the Japanese Archipelago has also done wonders for the strengthening of the Japanese national spine.

Despite large public anti-war demonstrations and tearful pleas from relatives of the hostages, the public has been strongly backing Koizumi's tough stance.

Now, a steady stream of news, much of it leaked from governmental sources, is hinting that the first three hostages may have faked their kidnapping. If and when these suspicions becomes provable, the public backlash in Japan against the anti-war left could be fearsome, and drive Japan’s foreign policy even further toward muscular collaboration with American defense efforts. Given Japan’s formidable economic and technological resources , the coalition of the willing would benefit substantially for a long time to come.

-snip-

[LiteKeeper]

read later

[TheBigB]

Anything to do with the new Godzilla movie?

[glock rocks]

Prime Minister Koizumi simply refused to “go Spanish” in the face of terror threats

Ooooh. That's cold. I like it... catchy phrase!

[Semper Paratus]

Nippon is still mightly pissed at NK for the kidnapping of its citizens.

[Sunshine Sister]

This is good news!

[kcvl]

Prime Minister Koizumi simply refused to “go Spanish” in the face of terror threats

[mabelkitty]

Come take your bow...you deserve it.

You broke this first.

[kcvl]

bttt

[jcb8199]

FAKED it? And we aren't hearing about this why (other than the anti-intelligence Leftmedia)?!?!?

[Guillermo]

[tractorman]

Ping!

[cmsgop]

Way To Go Buddy! Ya did it again!

[jjm2111]

Hey we heard about the faker fooler here a long time ago.

[PureSolace]

Those three Faked it?! They'll be hell to pay if this is in fact true. The media spun this in their circus and tried their best to make the coalition look bad. God Bless the Japanese who still support us and God Bless our own troops abroad! Peace. :)

[Ditto]

"No one, least of all Japan’s Asian neighbors, doubts Japan’s capability to become a serious military power, once the will is present. Fortunately, this time around, Japan is firmly anchored to the cause of human freedom and democracy."

Something to ponder.

[Saturnalia]

PLEASE let the secret be giant robots!

[cspackler]

I believe that AmericanInTokyo broke it a while back here....

[Modernman]

Japan is waking up from it's 55 year slumber. The world is getting more and more dangerous and the US can't protect everyone. The free world needs Japan to step up and take its place as one of the world's great powers.

Mark my words- Japan will become a nuclear power by the end of this decade.

[Bacon Man]

Good post! I haven't seen or heard this anywhere else, which actually doesn't surprise me.