Japan's Army in Iraq to have BODYGUARDS!!

Japan Reportedly Paying Y10 Billion (75,052,849 EUR) to Iraqis to Guard SDF

2004-01-26 | TOKYO � The Japanese government is reportedly paying approximately 10 billion yen to Iraqi tribal leaders to provide bodyguards for the Self-defense Forces in Iraq.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office said: "It is rather cheap if we can buy security for our soldiers with that amount of money. In Iraq, oil money is distributed to those tribes. It is more important for the Japanese government to make one-time payments to the leaders than to pay them a salary. That will help their local economy and benefit Japan's foreign policy toward new Iraq."

The first contingent of Ground Self Defense Forces is already in Samawah in southern Iraq. The main force is scheduled to be sent either at the end of January or in early February.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's main concern has been how to protect the lives of the SDF soldiers. One of the measures that the government initially took was to have Dutch forces guard the SDF.

www.unobserver.com...



I would just loved to have seen a Commander breifing his men & telling them that there new orders in Iraq are......to guard the Japenese soldiers!! WHat do they have on the Dutch?

Well japan pulled all of thier people out when they had thier first casualties and now they are finally starting to come back. Really, they arn't here for combat or security purposes. They are more like the peace corp really. Infact they really arn't even a army. more like a civil defense core. National guard. somthing like that. So this doesn't surprise me too much.

75,052,849 EUR

Is that figure right ?

It's about �50 million or $80 million

That's alot of money.Seems too much for what they are doing.

Are you sure this isn't for something else and this security guard thing is a cover.Something that wouldn't get passed their parliament?

I just wanted to add that there are only about 100 Japanese soldiers there in Iraq.

So half a million pounds for each soldier ?

That's pretty bad when your soldiers have to have bodyguards.

Originally posted by John bull 1
75,052,849 EUR

Is that figure right ?

It's about �50 million or $80 million

That's alot of money.Seems too much for what they are doing.

Are you sure this isn't for something else and this security guard thing is a cover.Something that wouldn't get passed their parliament?

Such as ....?
Buying oil futures via the only organized military power in the country once the Occupation is abandoned ?
The "Ground Self Defense Forces" are what the Japanese is calling the contingent. The article also states that their mission is water services restoration.




[Edited on 30-1-2004 by John bull 1]

quote:
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Originally posted by John bull 1
75,052,849 EUR

Is that figure right ?

It's about �50 million or $80 million

That's alot of money.Seems too much for what they are doing.

Are you sure this isn't for something else and this security guard thing is a cover.Something that wouldn't get passed their parliament?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Such as ....?
Buying oil futures via the only organized military power in the country once the Occupation is abandoned ?
The "Ground Self Defense Forces" are what the Japanese is calling the contingent. The article also states that their mission is water services restoration.


No,
That is not what I was thinking.
Everyone knows the Japanese give financial support to the USA.They prop up their ailing currency and finamce military action that their constitution forbids.
It is only because Japans troops are more valuable than their money(looks good for the coalition of the willing) that Japanese troops are there.

I would imagine this is an extra donation to the Iraq reconstruction(the responsibility of the USA and UK) done via the back door.

John bull 1, you said:
"Everyone knows the Japanese give financial support to the USA."

This is the first that I have heard of ANYONE EVER giving money to the US in recent memory, it is usually the US shelling billions to other countries. Could you please show me some evidence that japan has ever given us money. Sorry if I come off a little strong, it's just that I have never heard of anyone giving the worlds pigy bank any money.

TheButcher,

There is no need to apologise for coming off strong.That is an honestly held view and this board would be alot worse without it.

To answer.The US Dollar is falling big time and the Japanese gov are buying Dollars to prop it up.You've heard that Bush has asked for money from the international community.Well a very big chunk of that comes from Japan(and they can't afford it)

You are right that historically the US supported the Japanese Gov and the German Gov after the end of WW2.

Both Govs brought in constitutional measures to make illegal the use of their troops on foreign soil.Since that time both Germany and Japan have been viewed as international financiers giving money toward military action taken by the USA and UN.

Germany first broke this constitution in Kosova under NATO (us/uk) pressure.

Japan has now done the same in Iraq.


I do not think yopu are aware of the financial difficulties your country faces righjt now.Look at a graph of the dollar against the euro and the British pound.

This state of affairs is mainly brought about by the record national debt of the USA and still Bush borrows more.

Japan is buying Dollars to support the US Dollar.

You'll find imformation on the net to support this.I promise

Not only that, but the US is starting to ease up restrictions on Japanese corps coming over and starting foreign offices. Japan and the US have an extremely profitable agreement.

DE