International   

Rumsfeld raises troops issue with Japan

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE Nov. 15. The U.S. Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld's visit to East Asia is provoking protests against Washington's `imperialist' designs, as the American President, George W. Bush's tour did . Mr. Rumsfeld, now in Tokyo, is expected to travel to Okinawa on Sunday and later to South Korea.

The objective of the visit is to commence `consultations' with old allies like Japan and South Korea on the ways in which Washington could trim its strategic sails to meet its security challenges of the 21st century. However, the issue that has come to dominate is Japan's decision not to send troops, on even a "non-combat mission'', to Iraq. The tensions in South Korea-U.S. relations, especially over the former's move to soft-pedal the despatch of its troops to Iraq under American occupation, are expected to cloud Mr. Rumseld's visit to Seoul. There was nothing in the comments made by the U.S. and Japanese sides to indicate if and how exactly Mr. Rumsfeld and the Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, addressed Tokyo's stand on troops. In fact, both exuded much bonhomie in front of the cameras in Tokyo on Friday. However, Mr. Rumsfeld downplayed Tokyo's decision in his comments after a meeting with the Japanese Defence Agency Chief, Shigeru Ishiba, on Saturday. Conceding that sovereign nations were entitled to `engage' the U.S. in ways they would consider `appropriate', Mr. Rumsfeld indicated that he did not feel cold-shouldered by Japan. Either to please Mr. Rumsfeld or to put Tokyo's decision in `perspective', Mr. Ishiba said that Japan would still seek to send troops to Iraq by keeping in focus the security situation there. The North Korean nuclear issue, too, figured, with the U.S. indicating that the interests of Japan would be kept in mind in the event of any security assurances being given to Pyongyang.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Synagogue blasts leave 20 killed, 257 injured
• Former security chiefs slam Sharon's policies
• Rumsfeld raises troops issue with Japan
• Bush's offer evokes protests in U.K.
• Sri Lanka: U.S. `disappointed'
• Projections show Jindal ahead in Louisiana
• Assad appreciates India's stand on Israel
• Mufti wants Pakistanis to visit Jammu & Kashmir
• White House for early confirmation for Mulford
• `India emerging as economic superpower'
• Indian American lobbyist dead

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu