US warns that terrorists could target Japan

[radfringe]

US warns that terrorists could target Japan
http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20031122p2a00m0fp017001c.html

WASHINGTON -- A State Department spokesman has warned that Japan could be a target of terror attacks regardless of whether it sends Self-Defense Force (SDF) troops to Iraq or not.

State Department spokesman Adam Ereli voiced his concern during a Friday press conference when a reporter asked him about al-Qaeda's warnings that Tokyo would be an attack target if it sent troops to Iraq.

Ereli said that terrorists will attack anyone who they believe holds different opinions from them.

The spokesman said that any nation, whether they send soldiers to Iraq to help U.S.-led reconstruction efforts, could be a target of the al-Qaeda terrorist group or other entities.

On the same day, the Saudi weekly Al-Majallah said it had received an e-mail message from an alleged al-Qaeda leader that threatened to attack Tokyo and claimed responsibility for the recent bombing of British targets in Istanbul.

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Shots fired near Japanese Embassy in Baghdad
http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/archive/200311/18/20031118p2a00m0fp028001c.html

Shots were fired near the Japanese Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, but nobody was injured, the Foreign Ministry said in Tokyo.

Soon after the shots, Iraqi guards protecting the embassy opened fire and several people fled by car, officials of the ministry said.

The officials added that the government would step up security measures at Japanese diplomatic offices because they feared further attacks aimed at Japanese nationals by those opposed to Tokyo's promise to dispatch Self-Defense Force (SDF) troops to Iraq.

[1monster]

1. My cynical mind is asking...

Who in Japan did what to tick or the BFEE... or What does the BFEE want Japan to do now to prevent the attack(s)?

[Art_from_Ark]

3. According to the news reports, when Rumsfeld was in Japan last week,

Prime Minister Koizumi didn't see him, and the governor of Okinawa asked him to cut the number of US troops there.

All I can say is, the timing is interresting.

[leesa]

20. They decided not to send troops, just like Turkey did

Whoever doesn't do what the Psycopath in the Oval Office wants them to do, ends up with their very own little 9-11 adventure.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Is this a real warning or just telling the "terrorists" where to go next?

n/t

[aquart]

21. Well, that would make it a real warning, no?

What a shakedown.

[radfringe]

4. slapping on my tinfoil hat

:tinfoilhat:

we pretty much know that we won't be getting any substantial assistance from the UN nations as long as Baghdad Bush is still planted in the oval office

we also know that there was a great outpouring of sympathy and unity after September 11 that came from all over the world

If there were to be another attack of the same magnitude as September 11, (be it on US soil or elsewhere) - and it was shown that the "terrorists" were connected - then what would that do for getting UN help in Iraq or whatever country Baghdad-Bush wants to invade next?

Next question: given the world support for invading Afghanistan as a reaction to September 11 - are the terrorists 'stupid' enough to mount an attack of similar magnitude and risk a united world going after them?

[J B]

8. Why bother. They're winning.

Afghanistan and Iraq are both going against the Coalition at an increasing rate. All they need to do is keep the pressure up for the Coalition to retaliate in a stupid, heavy-handed manner. Since the Coalition thinks that Al-Qaeda is counting on it NOT retaliating, it will indeed retaliate in a stupid, heavy-handed manner, as it has already done lately.

So why bother. They're winning as it is.

[lumpy]

5. Don't know where the US got that info.

After all the US doesn't have the "best intelligence in the world".
Brig.Gen. Kimmit said so.

[Rose Siding]

6. It just came to them

when they realized how upset the terrorists would be that Japan was waffling on whether to send troops to Iraq. :silly:

[Nlighten1]

7. Terrorists everywhere!

Be afraid!

[aquart]

22. Yeah. That bunch in the White House scare the crap out of me.

[Paschall]

9. And they pay people for this?

Of course Japan could be a target regardless of anything its government does.

But will it be a target? Does this joker even have intelligence indicating it might be a target if JDF forces aren't deployed?

Omaha could be a target, but there's perhaps no point dwelling on the issue on taxpayer-funded time unless your intent is to terrorize the residents of Omaha.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. That comment really sounds like

"Nice country you've got there. Too bad if anything happened to it."

[54anickel]

12. That's a great interpretation! LOL

[cliss]

11. I agree with posts #1 & #2.

The timing is a little peculiar. Let's see...Rumsfeld travels to Japan and gets blown off. Of course, they didn't tell him that. In their very polite Japanese way, they told him they would wait. A polite stall. Because they know Iraq will become Dante's Inferno by next year, and then they can very easily point to the mess and say 'no way'. And I read somewhere they weren't even going to pay the soldiers. They would provide them with uniforms, but no pay.

I believe they asked Fiji next, but they also rebuffed them.

So yes, I do believe this is a thinly veiled warning. I've seen these guys in action before.

[0007]

13. Lots of chatter, lots of chatter, more chatter than the normal chatter....

what we've determined by this chatter is that Japan better be on the watch.

And next week, new tapes of bin Laden will reveal why Japan better be double frightened.

What's the color code today?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

14. letting Japan know it's not nice to refuse BFEE troops for Iraq war

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

15. Maybe the fact that Al Qaida just threatened could have something

to do with this US Intel coup:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=234046


Al-Qaida warns of Tokyo attack if Japan sends troops
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=2&id=279811

PARIS — Members of the al-Qaida international terrorist network has warned Japan that they will attack Tokyo as soon as Japanese troops are deployed in Iraq, Radio France reported Friday.

In a statement sent to an Arabic magazine, the al-Qaida members said they will infiltrate deep into Tokyo and attack the Japanese capital as soon as Japan's Self-Defense Forces troops set their feet in Iraq, according to the report.

The members admitted al-Qaida's involvement in Thursday's deadly attacks on British targets in Istanbul and said Japan will be easily destroyed and the Japanese will come to face the reality, the radio report said.

The attacks in Turkey's largest city killed at least 27 people and injured some 450 others in almost simultaneous explosions.

The statement also warned that "a major new operation" will be carried out between next week (following the end of Ramadan) and mid-February at the time of the Feast of Sacrifice, Id al-Adha.

<snip>

[kodi]

16. a cunning plan, al queda members will blend in well in japan?

japan is the second largest economy in the world, it needs mid east oil and mid east peace more than any other economy. it will have great influence on what happens because of its economic clout. the japanese want this stuff settled asap, but al queda might not let that happen.

it is subject to debate whether a terrorist attack by al queda in japan will cause the japanese to act one way or another in the mid east.

i think it more likely that if japan is attacked by al queda for supporting the US then the Japanese will harden in their support for the US.

[Rex]

17. So is that the BFEEs way of saying - send us some cannon fodder

or the terrorists will bomb you? For a group of people that cannot catch OBL, they sure seem to KNOW what the terrorists next move will be.

[kskiska]

18. I wonder if they're using that ploy with Fiji

They were really leaning hard on Fiji to send 1000 troops. Maybe if they were to suggest they could be a target…

[goforit]

19. Oh no......The WH is going after Japan?

These guys are crazy!