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`Japan obligated to dispatch troops to Iraq`
Tokyo, Nov 23: Japan has an obligation to send troops to Iraq and should not bow to terrorist threats to attack Tokyo if it provides military support, the country`s defence chief said today.
Tokyo, Nov 23: Japan has an obligation to send troops to Iraq and should not bow to terrorist threats to attack Tokyo if it provides military support, the country's defence chief said today.
Japanese public opinion has grown increasingly wary of sending the military to Iraq as casualties among coalition forces continue to mount.
Recent threats from an alleged al-Qaeda operative that Japan would be a target if it sent forces to assist the United States have also fueled fears among the public. But Defence Chief Shigeru Ishiba said Japan could not stand on the sidelines, particularly as it has interests at stake. He said Japan needs stability in Iraq because it relies on Middle East for over 80 per cent of its oil.
"Public opinion polls show the reason most often cited for why people oppose a dispatch is that the lives of the troops would be in danger," Ishiba said on TV Asahi. "But is it okay for only Japanese to be protected and for Japan to do nothing in the face of those who deny our supreme values of freedom and democracy?"
Ishiba has been one of the government's most aggressive proponents of providing military support in Iraq and has previously said Japan would dispatch troops this year. But there are varying views on the issue within the government. While Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi received Parliament's approval in July to send soldiers, he has never provided a timeframe, and some question whether he will provide troops given growing public opposition to the plan.
Bureau Report
Recent threats from an alleged al-Qaeda operative that Japan would be a target if it sent forces to assist the United States have also fueled fears among the public. But Defence Chief Shigeru Ishiba said Japan could not stand on the sidelines, particularly as it has interests at stake. He said Japan needs stability in Iraq because it relies on Middle East for over 80 per cent of its oil.
"Public opinion polls show the reason most often cited for why people oppose a dispatch is that the lives of the troops would be in danger," Ishiba said on TV Asahi. "But is it okay for only Japanese to be protected and for Japan to do nothing in the face of those who deny our supreme values of freedom and democracy?"
Ishiba has been one of the government's most aggressive proponents of providing military support in Iraq and has previously said Japan would dispatch troops this year. But there are varying views on the issue within the government. While Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi received Parliament's approval in July to send soldiers, he has never provided a timeframe, and some question whether he will provide troops given growing public opposition to the plan.
Bureau Report