Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

This is a repost. Were the attacks because of Japan sending troops to Iraq or because of the Azadegan oil deal?

-Am


Japan has come under terrorist attack for sending troops to Iraq at the same time Japan’s signing of the Azadegan deal with Iran has made the United States angry.

There were two late-night explosions near the Defense Ministry in Tokyo this week, which police said could have been carried out in a protest against the dispatch of Japanese troops to Iraq. February 20, 2004

These threats and attacks occurred at approximately the same time Japan signed a ground-breaking $2 billion deal to develop Iran’s Azadegan oil field very much against the wishes of the United States.

A leftist group calling itself "Kakumeigun" (Revolutionary Army) has sent letters to Japanese media claiming responsibility, Kyodo news agency said on Friday.

These attacks are not unheard of for Kakumeigun.

The Kakumeigun have previously in a letter claimed responsibility for launching projectiles at a U.S. military base in Kanagawa Prefecture.

In the letter, the writer that identified itself as "Kakumeigun" (Revolutionary Army) says it is opposed to the U.S.-led war against Iraq. - April 7, 2003)
http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/archive/200304/07/20030407p2a00m0dm014000c.html

However, claiming responsibility does not necessarily mean the assault was carried out by that person or group as seen in at least some of the Saudi terrorist attacks.

"[Al-Qaeda's] target has been, since the mid- to late '90s, the United States and not their own government," Brown said. "And the most recent attack targets not the Saudi government but Saudi citizens and others who are in Saudi Arabia from Muslim countries. And if this is an Al-Qaeda attack, it's not simply a departure, but a shocking departure."
http://www.rferl.org/nca/features/2003/11/11112003172149.asp

The timing is a little suspect. - Am



JAPAN Ups Security Against Possible Terror Attack

Updated 11:49 AM ET February 20, 2004


TOKYO (Reuters) - JAPAN tightened security on Friday at 650 vital facilities around the country, including nuclear power plants, government offices and U.S. facilities, to guard against a possible terrorist attack, a National Police Agency official said.

The official said the heightened alert was due to such factors as JAPAN's recent dispatch of a main contingent of ground forces to help rebuild Iraq.

But he declined to say whether there had been any fresh information concerning a possible attack.

There were two late-night explosions near the Defense Ministry in Tokyo this week, which police said could have been carried out in a protest against the dispatch of JAPANese troops to Iraq.

The dollar rose sharply against the yen in late afternoon trade in Europe following the report that JAPAN's security level had been raised.

The National Police Agency said in December that JAPAN's close ties with the United States and the many U.S. facilities in the country could make it a target for attacks by Islamic militants.

JAPAN approved the controversial dispatch of its main army contingent to help rebuild Iraq in late January, and now has some 100 troops establishing a base in Samawa in southern Iraq, where they will help with humanitarian work and reconstruction.

Nudged by the United States, JAPAN plans to send up to 600 ground troops to Iraq as part of a total deployment of around 1,000 military personnel. It will be JAPAN's biggest and riskiest overseas mission since World War II.

JAPAN is one of the United States' closest allies in Asia and is host to about half the approximately 100,000 U.S. military personnel in the region. Many U.S. companies have a substantial presence in the country.

No damage or injuries were caused by Tuesday's explosions.

A leftist group calling itself "Kakumeigun" (Revolutionary Army) has sent letters to JAPANese media claiming responsibility, Kyodo news agency said on Friday. The group said it was resorting to violence to prevent the deployment of JAPANese troops to Iraq, Kyodo said.

http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pri&dt=040220&cat=news&st=newssecurityJAPANalert....



JAPAN risks US ire by signing Iran oil deal

GIVE AND TAKE: Tokyo is hoping its commitment to the war in Iraq will be enough to placate Washington, which has accused Iran of trying to build nuclear weapons

REUTERS , TOKYO
Friday, Feb 20, 2004,Page 12

JAPAN's US$2 billion deal to develop an Iranian oilfield is causing friction with the US, but Washington's key Asian ally is betting its staunch support on other security issues will limit any impact on bilateral ties.

JAPAN, which relies on the Middle East for almost all its oil, has been juggling its desire to develop Iran's Azadegan oil field with pressure from the US to back off because of concerns that Tehran is developing nuclear weapons.

Washington was quick to express its "disappointment" that the controversial deal had gone ahead, but JAPANese government officials said yesterday the US reaction came as no surprise.

"We hadn't expected the United States to say `well done' about this agreement. But we had explained our national situation -- that JAPAN has to secure stable energy," said Tetsuhiro Hosono, an official at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

JAPANese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi probably calculated that his close ties with US President George W. Bush and his decision to send troops to Iraq despite voter opposition had won him leeway to act on the deal with JAPAN's third-largest oil supplier, diplomatic analysts said.

Koizumi last month began deploying troops to help rebuild Iraq in JAPAN's biggest and riskiest overseas mission since World War II, involving some 1,000 personnel.

"Clearly, JAPAN's action in this matter is not based on distancing itself from the alliance," said Tokyo University political scientist Takashi Inoguchi.

"They are saying that this range of freedom should be allowed given their commitment and loyalty to the United States," he said. "I think the JAPANese calculation may be correct, but we don't know how the action will impact the alliance."

JAPAN's top government spokesman, Yasuo Fukuda, welcomed the signing of the contract, which capped four years of tough negotiations and reinvigorated Iran's drive for investment.

"I think it is good if this leads to a stable energy supply, Fukuda told a news conference.

He added that JAPAN was well aware of US concerns and would keep urging Iran to abide by resolutions of the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Iran has consistently denied seeking to build nuclear weapons and agreed last October to allow snap inspections of its atomic facilities and to halt temporarily uranium enrichment.

How much friction develops between the US and JAPAN will likely depend on Iran's actions on the nuclear front.

If Iran resumes uranium enrichment, the US "may need to put pressure on Iran and if JAPAN is providing resources, that could be a problem," said US political scientist Joseph Nye. "Bush would probably want to draw down political credits with Koizumi and there could be some friction."

Nye, dean of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, added: "It's not a cause for divorce, but it's a cause for a dispute within the family."

Asked by reporters how JAPAN would respond if Iran did not keep its nuclear promises, Vice Trade Minister Seiji Murata said: "We would have to deal with that on a case-by-case basis."

Tokyo's pledge to keep pressing Iran to live up to its IAEA commitments could weigh in its favor when Washington considered whether to implement the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act, designed to discourage non-US firms from investing in those countries, analysts said.

The US has never tried to implement the law.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worldbiz/archives/2004/02/20/2003099484

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