tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6772087.post-1082208762819643282004-04-17T14:14:00.000+01:002004-04-17T14:36:43.216+01:00Yesterday's footage of Japanese civilians celebrating in the offices of a Sunni cleric after their week-long ordeal brought to mind the complex nature of Japanese relations with the rest of the world. The frenzied calls for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and the insistence of Junichiro Koizumi that these troops would remain to complete their humanitarian work, demonstrated a deeper division in Japanese society over the use of military forces. <br /> <br />Since the Americans helped to craft the Japanese Constitution, and included a clause that prevented Japanese Self-Defence-Forces from being deployed abroad, the Japanese have found it very difficult, both politically and psychologically, to use their rather good armed forces outside Japan. Unlike Germany, where nearly 60 years of soul-searching and apologising have almost entirely erased the reluctance to use armed forces, Japan has undergone collective amnesia to a certain extent, and have not shown the same level of remorse for their actions in WW2 that the Germans have. In spite of this, they have formiddable armed forces, equipped with modern weaponry of largely American design, that could be used in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions to increase the stature of Japan both regionally and worldwide. <br /> <br />Much domestic opposition to troop deployments is not motivated by pacifistic tendencies, but simply national self-interest, and a reluctance to see Japanese troops coming home in body-bags. I heartily approve of Prime Minister Koizumi's position, and believe that Japan has every right to use their armed forces in the same manner that every other responsible major power does. The threat from North Korea is a superb example of the necessity for strong armed forces, and the purchase of PAC-3 Patriot missiles from America should be a priority for Japan's defence against nuclear-tipped missiles. <br /> <br />I agree with JR Brearley in his assertions regarding the Italians, and earnestly hope that no nation in the coalition backs down in the face of barbaric aggression, lest the despicable individuals who perpetrate these crimes be encouraged to commit more.R Simpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01353774283893085143noreply@blogger.com