Japan plans PR blitz in Iraq to protect its peacekeepers

[Nambe]

TOKYO (AP)

Japanese military planners, worried by mounting US casualties in Iraq, hope to protect their own peacekeepers with an Arabic-language public relations blitz that plays up the humanitarian aspects of their mission, a newspaper reported yesterday.

Officials at Japan's Defence Agency are considering paying for television and radio spots to win public sympathy in Iraq for a contingent of as many as 1,000 Japanese soldiers expected to be sent to the country later this year, the Asahi newspaper reported.

The report came as national lawmakers were preparing to pass a Bill authorising the dispatch of ground troops to Iraq to help rebuild its war-battered infrastructure and provide logistical support for US-led peacekeeping operations. ---

Ride Don’t Drive It’s Global Cool

[Gloria]

1. The Japanese are going to be working on water purification projects...

Posted a couple of articles in the WMW a few weeks ago. Article revealed that American soldiers were being issued only 2 2-liter bottles of water a day, and that was for drinking AND hygiene!! Can you imagine???? And the poor Iraqis are in many cases in even worse shape!

[htuttle]

2. Everybody brings "PR"

But nobody ever brings anything to eat.

[I AM SPARTACUS]

3. these folks do...

I know, I worked for 'em...



more info at: http://www.aah-usa.org/

[NYC]

4. They are distancing themselves from the Americans.

Interesting that they feel a need to. (I understand the need.)

[canuck]

5. sage move

-hope they wear blue uniforms or something.

Stay close to the power/water infrastructure if thats what they're working on. And send people who can speak some Arabic.

[Elidor]

6. I'd suggest shirts with large arabic writing...

I'm with whitey -->