A team of Japanese soldiers left for Iraq yesterday as police, on the alert for terrorist attacks, tightened security ahead of what may become Japan's riskiest overseas military mission since World War II.
After a series of send-off ceremonies in Tokyo, about 30 members of the Ground Self Defense Force, as Japan's army is called, left for southeastern Iraq, an advance unit of a force that could include up to 1,000 troops.
The dispatch marks a historic shift away from Japan's purely defensive postwar security policy and poses a big political risk for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
"You're the pride of the Japanese people, the pride of the nation. I hope that you will complete your mission safely," Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, at times appearing almost overcome by emotion, told 180 soldiers -- including those leaving yesterday and others to join them later -- in attendance with about 100 relatives and top military brass.
Children's voices sometimes drowned out Ishiba's words. Most family members appeared cheerful, chatting and snapping pictures of the soldiers with their camera-phones before the ceremony.
A few demonstrators passed out leaflets near the defense ministry criticizing the dispatch.
Police vehicles kept them apart from a small group of right-wing activists who were shouting: "Japanese troops, do your best."
Critics say sending the troops violates Japan's pacifist constitution. Opinion polls have shown that the public is largely against sending the troops now and Koizumi's government could face a backlash if there are casualties.
The public was shocked when two Japanese diplomats were gunned down in northern Iraq late last year.
"Public opinion is divided for and against the dispatch to Iraq. But the dispatch is not to take part in war, the use of force, or combat," Koizumi told a meeting of his Liberal Democratic Party.
"Japan cannot ensure its security and peace on its own," he said. "It is not necessary to shed blood, but it is Japan's responsibility as a member of international society to sweat, to cooperate with funds and to make a human contribution."
The troops are expected to arrive in Kuwait today and travel overland later in the month to the city of Samawa in southern Iraq, where they will engage in humanitarian and reconstruction operations, Japanese media said.
The main body of around 600 ground troops will probably set off from late January.
A Russian charter plane also left Hokkaido in northern Japan yesterday for Kuwait carrying eight light armored vehicles.
Security was tight in Tokyo after media reports late last year that al-Qaeda had warned Japan it would attack the heart of the capital as soon as Japanese troops set foot in Iraq.
Police patrols were also stepped up at government offices, nuclear power plants, railway stations and airports, where officers walked around with sniffer dogs.
Also see story:
Conflict with Taiwan could leave China with “massive economic disruption, catastrophic military losses, significant social unrest, and devastating sanctions,” a US think tank said in a report released on Monday. The German Marshall Fund released a report titled If China Attacks Taiwan: The Consequences for China of “Minor Conflict” and “Major War” Scenarios. The report details the “massive” economic, military, social and international costs to China in the event of a minor conflict or major war with Taiwan, estimating that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could sustain losses of more than half of its active-duty ground forces, including 100,000 troops. Understanding Chinese
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
UNRELENTING: China attempted cyberattacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure 2.63 million times per day last year, up from 1.23 million in 2023, the NSB said China’s cyberarmy has long engaged in cyberattacks against Taiwan’s critical infrastructure, employing diverse and evolving tactics, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday, adding that cyberattacks on critical energy infrastructure last year increased 10-fold compared with the previous year. The NSB yesterday released a report titled Analysis on China’s Cyber Threats to Taiwan’s Critical Infrastructure in 2025, outlining the number of cyberattacks, major tactics and hacker groups. Taiwan’s national intelligence community identified a large number of cybersecurity incidents last year, the bureau said in a statement. China’s cyberarmy last year launched an average of 2.63 million intrusion attempts per day targeting Taiwan’s critical
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
RSS