WAR: 4 Bombs Strike Japanese Base in Iraq

No casualties have been reported from the 4 mortor bombs that struck a Japanese Base in Iraq. Reports are unclear as to whether the base was actually struck or not. Despite threats to the Japanese, officials have decided to keep its troops in Iraq.



A Japanese Defense Minister says that the Japanese base was not hit by the mortor bombs, however reports for Samawa says that it has. Who is responsible for the attack is still unclear.

al-Zarqawi, a group with suspected ties to al qaida is telling Japan that they should follow suit with the Philippines and pull out of Iraq.

[edit on 8-10-2004 by Valhall]

[edit on 8-11-2004 by Valhall]

This will set off fireworks with the Japanese public. Article 9 of the Japanese constitution forbid this deployment. Koizumi got it passed anyway. His ratings fell to the ground. Now that bombs hit the base, the government will be under intense pressure.

Well the Japanese government is denying that the bombs actually struck the base, I wonder if they are trying to cover it up to prevent a riot or a protest or something?

NHK link,

Members of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force unit temporarily took shelter in their camp after hearing explosions.

At daybreak, troops found traces of three shells that had landed in an empty lot about 100 meters from the camp.

www.nhk.or.jp...

Sanc'.

edit: Sorry, I forgot to say that the fact that it appears the base wasn't directly hit should not detract
from the fact that militia were aiming at it. Luckily they missed.

[edit on 10-8-2004 by sanctum]

[edit on 10-8-2004 by sanctum]

Originally posted by deeprivergal
Well the Japanese government is denying that the bombs actually struck the base, I wonder if they are trying to cover it up to prevent a riot or a protest or something?

They will definitely need to cover this up if at all possible. Koizumi is not in a guaranteed position as the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister position is not like the 4yrs given to the US president, he is not guaranteed any amount of time in office. There will not be riots basically against Japanese nature in general. But, I am sure we will hear of protests. So, if they say it did not hit the base, then it will still cause an uproar, but no heads will roll.

[edit on 10-8-2004 by JCMinJapan]

The netherlands are helping the japanese with the search

what is "mortor bomb"???