Pikatto

Three Japanese nationals in Iraq have been captured by a group identifying itself as the Mujahedeen Squadrons. Two are journalists and one is the member of an NGO aid organization. The Mujahedeen Squadrons have demanded that Japan withdraw the Self Defense Forces within three days or the hostages will be killed.

Watching the video showing the Japanese citizens being held captive they are strangely calm. I wonder if they are against the deployment of Japanese troops in Iraq? Perhaps they acted complicitly with the Mujahedeen Squadrons?

At any rate, the Japanese government will have to do some quick thinking and acting, two things which the government has not excelled at in the past, if the Mujahedeen Squadrons are intent on their threat.

I am of the opinion that it would be extremely detrimental to the safety of Japan to capitulate to these terrorist’s demands, or even to negotiate with them. It is a terrible situation for the family and friends of those being held captive, but I none the less feel it would be a huge mistake to meet their demands. The U.S. has long held a policy of absolutely no negotiation with terrorists that has served the country in good stead. If Japan capitulates now, the next threat or attack will probably take place on Japanese soil, with even greater demands being made.

I for one hope that the government will not negotiate with these terrorists at all. I also hope that the government can come up with another alternative to get the Japanese nationals to safety.

I also find it unbelivable that the terrorists think that the entire Japanese Self Defense Forces can withdraw from Iraq in a mere three days. Even without the bureaucratic delays that will undoubtably take place, this seems to be a demand guaranteed to end in failure no matter how hard the Japanese government tries to comply. Then again, perhaps that is exactly what the terrorists want.

When I got up, rather late I might add, I found that someone had tried to deliver a package while I was sleeping. Nobuko called them for me and asked them to bring it back by. I tought it was probably a couple of books I ordered from Amazon, even though they arrived really fast. Nope, I was wrong. It was a canvas tote bag from Apple. I guess that I qualified for one of their promotions when I bought my new G5. I just wish that it was a tshirt. Oh well, at any rate it was a nice surprise.

When I moved back to Japan I was on a pretty tight budget and couldn’t afford to buy a decent bicycle, so I didn’t get one at all. I later decided that it was for the best anyways since I have been hit twice by cars while riding in Japan. Perhaps it wasn’t for the best after all. On my way to the station today an old lady hit me while I was walking across the cross walk. She was turning left, and she just pulled right into me. Luckily, since the car was being driven by an old woman, it was going too slowly to do more than bump into me and push me a little. After she hit me I stopped and turned to look at her incredulously. I just couldn’t believe that she had hit me. She responded with a look that said, “What the hell were you doing in my way!?” Cycling’s not safe, and now it appears walking isn’t any better. I better come up with a third way to get to the damn station from now on!
Then to make me wish even more that i wasn’t in Japan this happened while I was in the building I work in. The company I work for is on the sixth floor of an office building. The entranceway has a long hall to the elevator. There was a woman standing in front of the elevator when I entered the building. As I was walking down the hall to the elevator the woman turned and looked at me. She then quickly turned back to the elevator and started to repeatedly jab at the elevator call button. Of course by the time I got to the elevator the doors were closed and she was on her way to the fourth floor where she got off. I know exactly what she was thinking. “Oh my god! Please, please come before the foreigner gets here!”
Sometimes, I really fucking hate living in Japan!