Don’t walk away from Iraq assignment, Washington tells Tokyo

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.emedia.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/World/20030901090031/Article/

TOKYO, Aug 31: US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage has expressed strong frustration at Japan’s intention to postpone dispatching troops to Iraq, where security is still fragile, Kyodo News said today.

"Don't walk away" from the task, Armitage told Japan's envoy for Middle Eastern affairs Tatsuo Arima when they met Aug 22 at the State Department, the news agency said, quoting sources familiar with the issue.

Armitage told Arima that supporting reconstruction in Iraq is not like attending a "tea party" due to real dangers and risks in on-going operations, Kyodo said.

Cautious remarks by senior Japanese Government officials over the dispatch of Self Defence Forces (SDF) troops may disrupt the international community's unity and cooperation in fighting terrorism, Armitage was quoted as saying.

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[teryang]

1. Who is responsible for disrupting

..."the international community's unity and cooperation in fighting terrorism?" Japan? LOL.

[indepat]

4. Which country is responsible for the most deaths in terrorist-type

attacks?

[Zech Marquis]

2. signs on desperate people doing desperate things

'Hey, you said you were gonna help us over there, so live up to your promise or we'll be after you next!"

Only a bully would "ask" a friend to not back out like this.

[Iverson]

3. "assignment," hunh?

That does not sound like an agreement between equals.
Also, in order to walk away, doesn't the departing party have to be there first?

[pansypoo53219]

5. if only

Bushit could get his 'term paper' off the internet. This actual work stuff just isn't easy as having daddy get him through harvard BS.