NOT!
Japan has postponed its plan to deploy troops in Iraq following yesterday's suicide bomb attack on Italian peacekeepers.
The Japanese government had hoped to send troops to southern Iraq within the next month, but the chief cabinet secretary, Yasuo Fukuda, today indicated that the deployment would be delayed.
"We could send the troops if circumstances permit," he said at a news conference. "But there is no such situation."
Japan's prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, added that the situation in Iraq "requires monitoring."
Don’t the Japanese realize that such devastating attacks at suffered by the Italians merely signals how desperate the insurgents are? It’s a sign we’re winning, isn’t it?
Hajime Matsusaki, the chief of staff of Japan's ground self-defence force, acknowledged today that an Iraqi mission would be fraught with challenges.
"I am aware that the situation in Iraq is turning into a severe one, requiring to be always on the alert," Mr Matsusaki said. "We should be prepared for the worst."
Maybe they know something Junior doesn’t… but with his crack staff sifting reality for him, is that possible?
6:26:35 PM 
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