TERRORISM: Japan's terror alert on "highest level"!!

Although the Japanese government does not have a system for rating their terror threat, they do say they have secured all nuclear power plant and have issued riot police around Tokyo. The Japanese yen took a 10 week low dive after the news spread. This coming on the same week as America is warned of yet another Al Queda strike and Saudi Arabia prepping themselves for an 'probable' attack.

apnews.myway.com...

TOKYO (AP) - Japan intensified security at airports, nuclear plants and government facilities Friday as a precaution against a possible terror attack, a National Police Agency official said.

Could a simultaneous attack be in store for multiple countries?? Is there a set date when all these terror warnings will prove true??

[Edited on 20-2-2004 by SkepticOverlord]

What!?! Does anyone know why they are doing this all of a sudden?

It looks is if they don't want to say but it does say that they are sending more troops over, so maybe they are scared of a retaliation.

I believe the alert status has something to do with the explosions earlier this week.

-- Since I was beat in posting---
Reuters
�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.�

Japan is not commenting on the exact number of extra forces that are being used, and they are not saying if they have any more leads on suspected terrorist operations in their country, but it is possible that the extra security is related to the explosions at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo earlier this week. No damages or injuries are being reported from these explosions. A group calling itself "Kakumeigun" (Revolutionary Army) has sent letters to the press claiming responsibility for the explosions, stating that they were trying to prevent deployment of more Japanese troops to Iraq.

Currently Japan has approximately 100 troops in Samawa in southern Iraq where they are mainly involved in humanitarian aid. This is the largest military mission that Japan has undergone in the last 50 years. The country has a pacifist constitution and no Japanese soldier has been killed or engaged in combat since World War Two. About fifty percent of Japan is opposed to the deployment in Iraq, and the deployment is getting little television coverage. Japan has even told Japanese media to leave Iraq to limit coverage.


[Edited on 20-2-2004 by dbates]

Another possiblity is N. Korea driving their alert level up. I read the DPRK news sites often and it is a tough call as to whether they hate the US or Japan more. In fact they are all up in arms about some new sanctions Japan is about to pass against N. Korea. Their site is full of propaganda but quite interesting to read.

Here is the site: www.kcna.co.jp...

Quote from thier article: "The act of the Japanese authorities cannot be justified by anything, he said, adding: If the Japanese authorities continue to resort to their hostile policy toward the DPRK at a time when the situation of the Korean peninsula has been strained by the nuclear issue, it will result in destroying peace and security in Japan as well as in Northeast Asia and the other parts of the world. "


Anyway it could be a combination of new troops to Iraq and these sanctions.

[Edited on 20-2-2004 by nativeokie]

[Edited on 20-2-2004 by nativeokie]