Koizumi haunted by Aznar's fate

http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,1176049,00.html

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Tokyo dispatch

Koizumi haunted by Aznar's fate

After the Madrid bombing, many Japanese are questioning what price they may pay for being seen as 'America's lackeys', reports Justin McCurry in Tokyo

Tuesday March 23, 2004

There was a time when a terrorist atrocity on the other side of the world would have barely troubled Japan. To be sure, there would have been words of condemnation from Tokyo, and of determination not to allow the bombers' agenda to prevail.

But Japan's support for George Bush's 'war on terror' has changed all that. By dint of that support, Japan, to the horror of many of its people, now inhabits a far more dangerous world than it is accustomed to.

As the people of Spain dispensed with the government of José María Aznar, angered by its handling of the aftermath of the Madrid bombings and frightened by the bloody consequences of its support for the war in Iraq, their Japanese counterparts were asking themselves one, chilling question: could a similar outrage occur here?

Apparently so. In an email sent to the London-based Arabic newspaper, al-Quds al-Arabi, the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigade threatened retaliation against 'America's lackeys'. The group has claimed responsibility for the Madrid bombings, though many analysts believe it lacks credibility.

"Our brigades are now preparing for a fresh strike," the message read. "Will it be the turn of Japan, America, Italy, Britain or Australia?"

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Everyone's reading the writing on the wall. As a protester in NYC before the war I can say "I TOLD YOU SO!!!"

All railways here in Tokyo have either taken away garbage bins or sealed them. They are quite concerned about the railways, and with reason! Most folks I know here are doing the 'guessing game': which line they'd hit if they were to do the same as Madrid in Tokyo (or going to hit, as some have resigned themselves to saying, such is the sense of "We're on that list"). So far, the bullet trains, or shinkansen are high on the guess list.

All very depressing, really. Thanks, Mr. Koizumi.

Andrushka, and thanks for the perspective from Tokyo.

:hi:

:hi: American expat living in Japan (Nagano pref). Doing the ELT gig.

Koizumi deserves to be thrown out on his ass for putting this country in the line of fire.

:hi:


I would imagine this is nothing new for Japanese folks after the Sarin attack on the subway. Many people in NYC don't seem to realize how vulnerable they are. Just an observation.

placed into power (USA USA USA). Japanese citizens have no real choice in Government. Any misfortune, the LDP will just whack off the penis and have their CIA Cosmetic Surgery Union sew on another Disk like they have done 10 times in the last 11 years.

That is...erm...quite disturbing imagery there, dArKeR (but not too far from what really happens, unfortunately)

Hey guys! Thanks for the welcome! :hi:

I think people here know that sealing up bins at stations is not going to ward off would-be-bombers. I think that many are coming to the realization that the best way to avoid trouble is to bring the troops back from Iraq. Koizumi can spin it as "humanitarian aid" all he likes, but the fact is that they are there and to the sort of crazy bastards who planted those bombs in Madrid, that's the only reason they need, IMO, anyway.

By the way, I wanted make a new thread, but I am still collecting my DU tokens, so will post this story here. Enjoy:

From: http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=9&id=292069

Saturday, March 20, 2004 at 04:55 JST

TOKYO — Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Friday he still believes there is a strong possibility that weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) will turn up in Iraq and that the U.S.-led invasion was legitimate.

Fukuda reiterated that ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's failure to verify there are no WMDs in the country — despite repeated calls by the United Nations to do so — indicates that they exist. "It's impossible that there are none," Fukuda said. (Kyodo News)

:crazy: