Why Not Tokyo?

[ThomWV]

What are the chances today's bombings might have taken place in Tokyo, and if you think the chance low why do you think so?

[JDPriestly]

1. No G-8 conference in Tokyo

And terrorists don't speak Japanese.

[TahitiNut]

14. There's no G-8 conference in London, either.

[Swede]

18. It's the capital of the host of the G-8 conference.

[TahitiNut]

22. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, where its parliament sits.

Gleneagles is outside Edinburgh.

[amazona]

23. thank you

a tiny voice of sanity in the crowd.

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JDPriestly]

30. I know, Scotland, but it is close enough

for the terrorists to grab the attention of the G-8.

[theboss]

2. 100

They clearly took place in London.

I'm sorry, but I really don't understand the question.

[LSparkle]

3. Wrong time zone for much media coverage

Plus the world was focused on London because of G8.

I swear, that's part of the reason 9/11 happened on the East Coast and not the West -- so the rest of the country would be able to witness it live and be terrorized as well.

[Endangered Specie]

31. Actually by begining attacks at 9am

would mean it started on the west coast at 6am, not exactly primetime TV hour on the west coast.

[LSparkle]

36. Nope, but people were up and having their coffee

If it'd been later, they might have been in their cars or at work.

[Endangered Specie]

37. If they had struck the west coast around 3pm,

a particulary busy hour for office works and buildings, it would have been on the 6oclock news in the East coast (just like bombing Iraq at 2am is).

[Bluebear]

4. Don't conjur it up for them!

[amazona]

5. there were subway attacks in Tokyo some years ago

There are nuts all over the world. It was pretty horrible, from what I recall. Some kind of gas attack from some religious cult freaks. I think if the chance of attack is low, it's because they rounded up and prosecuted the freaks in question, didn't they?

Surely someone else remembers this?

[amazona]

11. yeah Tokyo still considered at some risk, here's more

The attacks were in 1995, coordinated sarin gas attack. Chemical gas proved not as deadly as the cult had hoped, as only 12 were killed, but many thousands of people were injured.

There's a lot about it here:

http://www.japan-101.com/culture/sarin_gas_attack_on_th...

They caught these people and prosecuted them, which tends to take the fun out of being a terrorist.

Maybe * and Poodle could consider doing the same one of these days.

[VOX]

13. 1995 sarin gas attack on Tokyo subway by members of Aum Shinrikyo...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarin_gas_attack_on_the_To...
Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway
The Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, usually referred to in the Japanese media as the...(chikatetsu sarin jiken "subway sarin incident") was an act of domestic terrorism perpetrated by a religious group of members of Aum Shinrikyo on March 20, 1995. In five simultaneous coordinated attacks, the conspirators released sarin gas on several lines of the Tokyo Subway, killing twelve people and injuring some six thousand more. The attack was obviously intent on Kasumigaseki and Nagatacho, home to the Japanese government. This was (and remains, as of 2005) the most serious attack that has occurred in Japan since the end of the Second World War.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. And tokyo is a far harder target

[LiberallyInclined]

27. because...???

...you say so??

[VOX]

7. State your case. Are you making a point? n/t

[maveric]

8. Does Japan have troops in Iraq?

[ThomWV]

10. Yes

[democracyindanger]

12. A couple thousand

involved in non-military functions. But it was Blair who was Chimpy's biggest head-of-state cheerleader for the Iraq debacle.

And I'd like to know what the OP's getting at.

[Kellanved]

9. simple: zero.

The attack didn't happen in Tokyo.

As to the possibility of attacks on Tokyo: Why not Rome? Why not Paris? Why not...

[LiberallyInclined]

28. why not paris...?

perhaps the lack of French troops in Iraq?

[Kellanved]

34. oh please

Do you not honestly believe that a country has to have troops in Iraq to become a terrorist's target?

The attack happened because London is a high-profile target in the Western world. So is Paris. So is Rome. So is Sydney. So is Berlin. So is Tokyo. ...

Even if there were a motive like "troops in Iraq"; what about troops in Afghanistan? What about a colonial past?

The list of possible motives goes on, but do terrorists really need motives after they have decided to become terrorists?

[ThomWV]

15. Possible Answers

You might have said:

Yes, the chances are just as likely of an attack on Tokyo as London, New York, Paris, or any other large western city. Japan is a part of the coalition in Iraq and its tentacles stretch all over the world and are deep in the mid east, where they japanese people are mistrusted.

or:

No, the Japanese industrial, financial and certainly social footprint is almost invisible in the mid east and as a generally non Christian nation they are seen if not as natural allys then at least as not impeding Islam. Their military presence in Iraq is limited to just a few aid workers and even they are scheduled for early pullout.

Or maybe a hundred other answers. I don't know. I've just got a gut feeling for reasons I can't explain that the likelihood would be low and I was wondering if anyone else felt the same but could articulate why better than I could. There was nothing sinister in my question.

[theboss]

16. If the question is: Is Tokyo a terrorist target?

The answer is, who knows?

It's probably not a target of Islamic terrorists. Its actions in the Middle East are fare less noticeable compared to the US, Britain, Israel, etc. Also, I imagine getting to Tokyo and coordinating an attack there would be a bitch.

But it's had terrorism in the past.

[amazona]

20. nothing easier than getting to Tokyo

Quite a large airport they have over there actually.

[Zenlitened]

17. Because they weren't just named hosts of the Olympics?

Were there cells in every city that was in the running, awaiting yesterday's announcement?

[amazona]

24. that would be my guess, Zenlitened

That is egg-zactly the thought that occurred to me.

[katsy]

19. My guess is...

that Japan does not intrude into the internal affairs of foreign nations nearly as much as the U.S. & Britain to a lesser extent. It would be more likely that Japan suffers a terrorist attack because of disgruntled Japanese nationalists than foreign terrorists meddling in their affairs.

You have an oil-rich nation like saudi arabia with the bush partners-in-crime for leaders. The king reaps the rewards of selling oil and you have a country with high poverty and high unemployment. These "terrorists" are blaming the U.S.

On the other hand, Iran, a repressive theocratic country, has generated few suicide bombers out in the world. WHY is that? For one thing, the western world has exerted little influence in their affairs.

I wouldn't want to live in Iran or Saudi Arabia. However, a change in the political climate in Iran may come faster (however slow that is in reality) precisely because the U.S. has no influence over Iran's population. Average Saudis may have a more difficult time because we meddle in their affairs.

U.S. foreign policy (corporate fasism at it's purist form) comes at the expense of the poor, of labor and all foreign nationals except the rich.

Look at us! Look at the homeless, the uninsured, the underpaid, our children who lack the best education in world in the richest country in the world. Look at the number of Americans who are hooked on drugs pushed by big pharma. Look at the slow bleeding of middle class America.

WHY would ANYONE on this planet want to be slaves to multi-national corporations?

They don't want our lifestyle. They have their own cultures and any changes they wish to adopt... they want it to be on their timetable.

[Kraklen]

21. Japan isn't the US's biggest ally in Iraq.

[amazona]

25. do you seriously think iraqi's attacked the london tube?

I don't. No evidence at all. I will wait for proof.

Terrorism isn't about fair play for Cuba or whoever. It is about criminals attacking un-armed civilians. Yes, I do believe Al Qaeda did 911, Madrid, Kenya/Tanzania and the rest.

It is difficult to hold back my suspicions that the same evil dudes are responsible for this one.

It ain't about Iraq and making it about Iraq is a mistake in my humble view.

[Kraklen]

29. Do you think it wasn't because of the UK's involvement in Iraq?

You don't see them attacking France, do you?

[geek tragedy]

32. How many Islamists are there in Japan?

Much easier for Islamists to operate in countries with large Muslim communities.

[Lannes]

38. I agree

[Fleshdancer]

33. Because no one in Tokyo would let you leave the train w/o your bag?

Honestly, I don't know the answer to this question. Perhaps there was much easier access to London than Tokyo for some reason.

After living in Tokyo for a few years however, I know that (from my experience) if you were to leave a subway train that wasn't overly congestion and you "forgot" your backpack or bag, someone would point it out to you. While sitting on the train once, a 500 yen coin fell out of my pocket and as I was leaving, a teenager came running after me to inform me that I left money on the seat. Talk about cultural differences.

[spinbaby]

35. You're right

In Tokyo it's far more likely someone would come running after you with your bag. And if you're a westerner, you really stand out, so it would be very difficult to be inconspicuous.