Japan Will Stay in Iraq Despite Beheading

[Champ]

By NATALIE OBIKO PEARSON, Associated Press Writer

TOKYO - Japanese leaders on Sunday insisted they would not cut short their troops' deployment in Iraq (news - web sites) despite the discovery of the body of a Japanese backpacker killed by Islamic militants.


Fingerprint tests proved the headless body found in central Baghdad was Shosei Koda, 24, who had been held by al-Qaida-linked militants demanding that Japan withdraw its 500 troops from Iraq, said Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura.


Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi called the killing a "brutal, inhuman act" but vowed to stay the course in Iraq, where Japanese soldiers are on a humanitarian, non-combat mission.


"We cannot lose to terrorism, we must not yield to brute force. I believe we should continue to support the Iraqi people's efforts to rebuild their country," Koizumi told reporters.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=1&u=/ap/20041031/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_hostages

[fujiyama]

1. Sounds like Koizumi

has got his country in a hell of a mess.

I would imagine this isn't going over well with the Japanese people, who IIRC, never wanted to get involved in Iraq.

[DannyRed]

2. I live in Tokyo

and work in Yokohama (and HATE the commute...)

And folks here are as pissed about this (and the slow, lame response to the Niigata Earthquake) as I have ever seen...folks in my office are actually willing to talk openly about politics in a way that is very rare here.

[izzie]

3. In an Am. Flag? That will be kept off TV

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[Tight_rope]

4. Well it won't be hard for the terrorist to find them Oriental hostages!

Their eyes will give them away and there will be more be-headings for Japan.