dw harding

Japan agrees to send troops to Iraq--but not before a fight

July 26, 2003


TOKYO--Lawmakers voted Friday to send Japanese forces to Iraq to help
with reconstruction, despite delaying tactics by the opposition that
deteriorated into a wild shoving match.

The passage of the bill was a victory for Prime Minister Junichiro
Koizumi. He said details about the deployment will be worked out after
officials assess the situation in Iraq.

Opposition parties criticized the legislation, saying such
peacekeeping missions could violate Japan's pacifist constitution and
put troops in the line of enemy fire.

During an upper-house committee meeting--during which the bill
passed--outraged opposition legislators shouted and tried to push
their way through a ring of ruling party lawmakers to get at the
committee chairman, who had cut short the debate. The chairman called
a vote amid the grappling and tackling. AP
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Everyone wants a piece of the action , this is excellent news from a
freedom fighters stance.

"Now, let's imagine the future. What if he [Saddam]
fails to comply and we fail to act or we take some
ambiguous third route which gives him yet more
opportunities to develop this program of weapons of
mass destruction? Well, he will conclude that the
international community has lost its will. He will then
conclude that he can go right on and do more to
rebuild an arsenal of devastating destruction. And
someday, some way, I guarantee you, he will use the
arsenal"
- Bill Clinton, Meet the Press, February 17, 1998

usenet

Do you mean 'freedom fighters' like Osama Bin Laden and the Afghani
Mujahadeen? Or do you mean 'freedom fighters' like the Contras?

It's nice to see, however, that Bush's coalition of the willing are
unquestioningly eager to help. What a change from the days of having to
bribe their signatures away from them.

each hero sues ookie

If he were a freedom fighter, he'd be fighting for freedom in his homeland.