Japan PM Re-Elected, Iraq Dispatch on Hold

Grok Headline matches for Japan PM Re-Elected, Iraq Dispatch on Hold

Japan clears Iraq troop dispatch

Japan clears Iraq troop dispatch 01/26/2004 02:21 AM
Japan is expected to formally approve the dispatch of 600 troops to Iraq despite widespread public opposition.

Japan Cabinet Approves Plan for Iraq
Troop Dispatch

Japan Cabinet Approves Plan for Iraq
Troop Dispatch 12/09/2003 05:03 AM
Reuters via Wired News Dec 9 2003 3:49AM ET

CareerCast to power Internet job boards
for St. Louis Post- Dispatch, Columbus
dispatch, and more

CareerCast to power Internet job boards
for St. Louis Post- Dispatch, Columbus
dispatch, and more 11/18/2003 07:03 AM
Online Recruitment Nov 18 2003 6:07AM ET

Axcess News: Wireless Mobile Dispatch
Provider, Digital Dispatch, Pulls
Offering

Axcess News: Wireless Mobile Dispatch
Provider, Digital Dispatch, Pulls
Offering 04/28/2004 07:36 AM
Stockhouse Canada Apr 28 2004 10:47AM GMT

Football: Japan hold England

Football: Japan hold England 06/01/2004 05:04 PM
England continue their Euro 2004 build-up as Michael Owen scores in a 1-1 draw against Japan.

New Kevin Sites dispatch from Iraq:
Under Steel Rain

New Kevin Sites dispatch from Iraq:
Under Steel Rain 06/29/2004 06:50 PM
A new weblog dispatch from NBC correspondent and blogger Kevin Sites, about life in the militarized zone with the distinction of having been mortared more than any other in Iraq -- 400 times in the last three months

[S]oldiers aren't the only ones in danger. Civilian employees of Kellog. Brown and Root -- which provide many of the civilian services on base -- are also at risk. Many of the food service employees, mostly foreign workers from poor nations like the Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh; say theyre very frightened by the mortars. One says he sleeps on the ground pulling sandbags around him, but while the mortars haven't got him yet, the sand fleas have. He shows me the red bites on arms.

Four Philippine workers were killed at the largest Army supply base in Iraq last April when insurgent rockets hit their living quarters at Camp Anaconda. But those inside the camp aren't completely surrounded by hostility. At dusk in Guard Tower 7, soldiers watch Iraqi boys play soccer not more than a hundred yards away. Some Iraqi civilians even live in shacks right next to the massive walls surrounding the base.

"Hi Nora," one of the soldiers says, waving to a shy ten year old Iraqi girl popping her head out from behind a sheet that covers the opening to the mud and clapboard shack. "Hi Michael," she says in a high-pitched voice, waving then quickly ducking back inside.

Link

"absolutely brilliant post on why he
believes John Kerry is preparing for a
withdrawl from Iraq if elected"

"absolutely brilliant post on why he
believes John Kerry is preparing for a
withdrawl from Iraq if elected" 08/08/2004 08:51 PM

China, Japan, ROK hold policy dialog on
intellectual property

China, Japan, ROK hold policy dialog on
intellectual property 11/14/2003 05:52 AM
Xinhuanet Nov 14 2003 4:35AM ET

Thousands Hold Anti-Japan Protests in
Eastern China (Reuters)

Thousands Hold Anti-Japan Protests in
Eastern China (Reuters) 04/16/2005 02:43 AM
Reuters - With some shouting "Japanese invaders must die," thousands protested against Japan's wartime past in eastern China on Saturday, hurling projectiles at Tokyo's consulate and burning Japanese flags in Shanghai.

New Kevin Sites dispatch from Iraq:
Dirty for Dirty

New Kevin Sites dispatch from Iraq:
Dirty for Dirty 06/01/2004 02:09 PM
NBC combat correspondent and weblogger Kevin Sites is in Iraq today. He's just posted a new entry on his blog -- a series of interviews with American soldiers.

[O]nce they finally do get home--they will still be faced with the complex task of finding their way in a civilian society again. And while they're eager to leave their weapons and Kevlar behind, the violence they've experienced here will likely be with them in one way or another, always.

Derek Ellyson says his memories have already hardened, fixed in his mind. "You never forget the faces. I can describe to you every dead person I've seen out here. What their faces looked like, the position they were laying in." Sorokin agrees, "War brings a lot of ugly things, you see a lot of ugly things you see other people dead and sometimes when you see somebody dead you see the face of death--the way the guy died. It could be an enemy it could be an ally it doesn't matter."

Yet living with those images of death is part of the job--the same one that requires them to pull the trigger. Before going to war soldiers have always had to ask themselves if they'd be willing to die for their cause. But there is a second part to that question which for some, is more difficult to answer: would they kill for it? For most if not all in the 3rd Platoon--the question is already moot.

Link, Discuss

Gunmen say they hold two hostages in
Iraq

Gunmen say they hold two hostages in
Iraq 06/02/2004 03:18 PM

In Western Iraq, Fundamentalists Hold
U.S. at Bay

In Western Iraq, Fundamentalists Hold
U.S. at Bay 08/29/2004 12:22 AM
Falluja and Ramadi, and much of Anbar Province, are now controlled by militias, with U.S. troops confined to outside bases.

Straw and Allawi hold Iraq talks

Straw and Allawi hold Iraq talks 09/20/2004 05:17 AM
UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Iraq's interim leader Iyad Allawi hold talks on security.

Bush to Hold News Conference on Iraq
(AP)

Bush to Hold News Conference on Iraq
(AP) 04/13/2004 07:36 PM
AP - President Bush is expected to seek support for his embattled Iraq policy Tuesday evening in the face of rising casualties and growing doubts, as he holds his first prime-time news conference since before the war. The president is also facing questions about whether he ignored warning signs about the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and botched opportunities to eliminate the al-Qaida network.

U.S. Pressured to Hold Elections Before
Iraq Handover

U.S. Pressured to Hold Elections Before
Iraq Handover 01/23/2004 07:36 PM
Reuters via Wired News Jan 23 2004 11:40PM GMT

In Western Iraq, Fundamentalists Hold
U.S. Forces at Bay

In Western Iraq, Fundamentalists Hold
U.S. Forces at Bay 08/28/2004 01:19 PM
Falluja and Ramadi, and much of Anbar Province, are now controlled by militias, with U.S. troops confined to outside bases.

Captors Still Hold Filipino, Bulgarians
in Iraq

Captors Still Hold Filipino, Bulgarians
in Iraq 07/11/2004 06:39 AM
Reuters via Wired News Jul 11 2004 10:35AM GMT

Iraq to Hold National Conference July 31
(AP)

Iraq to Hold National Conference July 31
(AP) 07/27/2004 01:08 PM
AP - Iraq will hold its national conference July 31, delaying the key event by several days at the request of the United Nations which said officials were not ready, conference organizers said Tuesday.

U.S. Pressured to Hold Elections Before
Iraq Handover (Reuters)

U.S. Pressured to Hold Elections Before
Iraq Handover (Reuters) 01/23/2004 06:34 PM
Reuters - A leading pro-U.S. member of Iraq's Governing Council on Friday called for direct elections before a July handover of power, urging Washington to give in to popular demand because its transition plan could destabilize the country.

Troops in Iraq Strain to Hold Lines of
Supply

Troops in Iraq Strain to Hold Lines of
Supply 04/12/2004 10:07 PM
Attacks on supply lines pose new hazards to civilian contractors and siphon combat forces away from the fight against militants.

Iraq National Guards Hold 228 Suspected
Insurgents

Iraq National Guards Hold 228 Suspected
Insurgents 01/02/2005 01:56 PM
Reuters via Wired News Jan 2 2005 4:38PM GMT

U.S. Iraq Debt Envoy to Hold New Talks
in Asia

U.S. Iraq Debt Envoy to Hold New Talks
in Asia 12/22/2003 10:10 PM
Reuters via Wired News Dec 22 2003 9:51PM ET

Turkish Captive in Iraq Tells of Fearful
Struggle to Hold On

Turkish Captive in Iraq Tells of Fearful
Struggle to Hold On 09/24/2004 07:18 AM
A young Turkish journalist, Zeynep Tugrul, was freed last week by kidnappers in northern Iraq after four days of terror and hope.

Japan reporters attacked in Iraq

Japan reporters attacked in Iraq 05/28/2004 12:38 AM
Gunmen fire on a car carrying two Japanese journalists in Iraq, with one of them believed to have been killed.

Unprecedented Logic - Why slippery-slope
arguments against invading Iraq don't
hold water. By Eugene Volokh

Unprecedented Logic - Why slippery-slope
arguments against invading Iraq don't
hold water. By Eugene Volokh 03/19/2003 10:46 PM
Unprecedented Logic: Why slippery-slope arguments against invading Iraq don't hold water .. article about precedent-setting and slippery slope arguments and Iraq

track this site | 9 links

Japan Awaits Release of 3 Iraq Hostages
(AP)

Japan Awaits Release of 3 Iraq Hostages
(AP) 04/11/2004 11:42 PM
AP - Japan waited anxiously Monday for the release of three Japanese civilians taken hostage in Iraq, as the government struggled to determine whether they were safe and if armed captors planned to set them free as promised.

Japan firm on Iraq hostage demand

Japan firm on Iraq hostage demand 04/09/2004 04:13 PM
Japan's PM says his country will not withdraw its troops from Iraq, despite threats to kill three Japanese hostages.

Japan PM Seen Buoyed After Iraq Hostages
Freed

Japan PM Seen Buoyed After Iraq Hostages
Freed 04/18/2004 04:40 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 18 2004 7:48AM GMT

Iraq abductions leave Japan in crisis

Iraq abductions leave Japan in crisis 04/09/2004 04:03 PM

Reaction of Japan to the Japanese
Hostages in Iraq

Reaction of Japan to the Japanese
Hostages in Iraq 04/30/2004 03:22 AM

Several people have asked me to comment on an article in the NYT about the reaction of to the Japanese people to the three Japanese taken hostage in Iraq. The article describes how everyone including the politicians in Japan are angry at the hostages for causing trouble to the Japanese government and being irresponsible.

There are many conflicting reports about whether they were reckless or not and what their motives were so I won't comment on that. I also don't feel strongly personally on this issue so I'm not going to make a judgmental point either. What I would like to describe is a bit more background on how Japanese think about responsibility and apologies.

I think one of the things that made many Japanese I know upset were the parents of the hostages making public statements about how the government should help get the hostages back without apologizing first about causing trouble for the government. Even if they didn't believe it, it would be proper Japanese etiquette to say this first. It's quite cliche, but it's true that if you get into an automobile accident in Japan, even if you think it's probably the other person's fault, you apologize first. Japanese are warned not to do this in the US because apologizes imply responsibility. In many cases, apologies in Japan are a formality and skipping them is rather rude. I think many people thought these parents were "rude" on a national scale. Another example of a throw-away apology is that when you ask for a waiter in a restaurant, you say, "I'm sorry... or excuse me." We often apologize profusely when in doubt or are requesting any kind of favor.

An important psychological element is that even though we are individuals, we often represent the group. I have something like 16 or so generations before me on my gravestone and I often feel like a mere blip in the history of my family. Taking risk or tainting my family name is not something that I can freely do without feeling the guilt and responsibility to my ancestors.

It's also interesting to note that most Japanese children's cartoons have story lines where they are a team. Often one of the members get in trouble or drop out of the group and the whole show is about how the group tries to help the drop out get back in tune with the group. It's usually the group saving the single "problem" member. On the other hand, many American cartoons are super-heros who are independent and save the world through taking risk and being different. I know I'm generalizing here, but people who watch a lot of Japanese TV will understand what I'm saying I think.

I once talked to one of the directors of the Sumo Wrestling association. She said she always had a great deal of difficulty explaining one of the core principles of Sumo to foreigners. Sumo wrestlers are not supposed to show anguish when they lose or happiness when they win. They are to be emotionless and stoic. "Like a rooster carved out of wood," she said. This is a very central theme to many of Japanese aesthetics. This Japanese stoicism is central to much of the Japanese lack of sympathy to heroics, I think.

Although I understand what the NYT article is saying and I don't necessarily agree with the way the hostages are being treated and picked on right now, I think that lack of initial apologies and the feeling of Japanese to heroics in Japan is behind the reaction. Having said that, I think this attitude is what is hampering Japan's entrepreneurism as well as Japan's ability to participate as a leader in global affairs. It's a fairly deeply rooted cultural theme that won't change very easily though.

As usual, I'm happy to hear dissenting opinions.

Japan PM Firm on Iraq Despite New
Hostages Report

Japan PM Firm on Iraq Despite New
Hostages Report 04/15/2004 01:10 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 15 2004 5:07AM GMT

Iraq Overshadows Cheney Visit to Japan

Iraq Overshadows Cheney Visit to Japan 04/10/2004 03:28 PM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 10 2004 7:45PM GMT

Japan unsure of safety of hostages in
Iraq

Japan unsure of safety of hostages in
Iraq 04/12/2004 08:39 AM

Japan PM Gets Boost, Iraq Hostages
Return

Japan PM Gets Boost, Iraq Hostages
Return 04/18/2004 07:08 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 18 2004 10:43AM GMT

Japan cabinet approves Iraq plan

Japan cabinet approves Iraq plan 06/17/2004 10:50 PM
Japan's cabinet passes a proposal to allow its troops join a new multinational force in Iraq.

Iraq test looms for Japan troops

Iraq test looms for Japan troops 01/16/2004 11:04 AM
Japan sends its first troops to a combat zone since World War II, as a small force sets off for deployment in Iraq.

Japan Approves Disputed Troops-For-Iraq
Plan

Japan Approves Disputed Troops-For-Iraq
Plan 12/09/2003 05:03 AM
Reuters via Wired News Dec 9 2003 3:49AM ET

Opposition to Iraq Mission Mounts in
Japan (washingtonpost.com)

Opposition to Iraq Mission Mounts in
Japan (washingtonpost.com) 04/09/2004 09:08 PM
washingtonpost.com - SEOUL, April 9 -- Naoko Imai, mother of a young Japanese man held hostage in Iraq, made a tearful plea Friday to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, apologizing for the trouble her son had caused but adding, "We would like to ask the Self-Defense Forces troops to withdraw so that our son can return safely."

Zarqawi Demands Japan Withdraw from Iraq
(Reuters)

Zarqawi Demands Japan Withdraw from Iraq
(Reuters) 07/20/2004 07:43 AM
Reuters - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, an Islamic militant with suspected ties to al Qaeda, has demanded that Japan pull its troops out of Iraq or face attacks, according to a statement posted on Tuesday on an Islamist Web site.
Grok Description matches for Japan PM Re-Elected, Iraq Dispatch on Hold
GrokA matches for Japan PM Re-Elected, Iraq Dispatch on Hold

Japan PM Re-Elected, Iraq Dispatch on Hold

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