It kind of undermines the value of sending troops to Iraq if you need another country's troops to protect them:
Britain agrees to protect Japanese troops in IraqTrue, Japan's troops are barred from participating in combat under Article 9 of Japan's pacifist postwar constitution. But can't its "Self-Defense Forces" handle their own self-defense?
Friday, January 21, 2005 at 07:24 JST
TOKYO — Britain indicated Thursday it will help ensure the security of Japan's Self-Defense Forces in Samawah, southern Iraq, after the Dutch military currently protecting them leave there in March, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
"Britain will fully cooperate in ensuring the security of the SDF," Straw was quoted as saying. About 600 troops from the Ground Self-Defense Force are stationed in Samawah on an aid and reconstruction mission. (Kyodo News)
3 comments:
i know what you are saying but i think in this case the SDF forces are noncombat ie support units like the us navys "CB's"
or a better example when i was stationed in sicily with my patorl squadron we were a combat unit but we were stilled defended by a unit of marines that protected the base. a squad of boy scouts with .22 rifles would have outgunned us on the ground lol
i believe based on history JDF combat units would do very well if allowed to carry out combat roles outside of japan. this is a role that they should be allowed to start doing again ww2 was along time ago but i guess im off topic now lol
regards
gbfan
Posted by gbfan001
No doubt they have the capability. I am wondering why they are not being allowed to use it, purely for defensive purposes.
In other words, the Japanese should send along enough troops to protect any noncombat personnel they also send.
Arguably, as long as they didn't attack anyone, but funcioned in a guard-type role, it wouldn't violate Japan's constitution.
Posted by GaijinBiker
Japan has few troops in Iraq, less then a thousand. But they are better then many countries in that regard, contributing to the reconstruction of the new Iraq. What exactly are they there for? well obviously they aren't combat troops, they are engineers.
If there are people rebuilding the infrastructure, there has to be security to do it. That Lynch cat? Remember her? You think she was a combat soldier or a support soldier? The Japanese have done what many countries haven't done. More of this stuff should be coming from other countries.
If I'm a combat engineer, I may carry an M-16 but the main job is building shit. Or in this case rebuilding, a most important job. If they are attacked, U.S. or Japanese engineers, they don't go into some building and root out the insurgents. Not their job at all. That's why when I was in, we thought engineers were pussies. But those guys are important, just not meant for combat at all. Japan didn't send security, but no reason to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Think McFly! *smile*
Posted by fasteddie
Post a Comment