This is taken from Yomiuri Shimbun.
"Japanese Killed." "Don't back away from the battle line of aid in Iraq."
What we feared has, unfortunately, become reality with this tragic sacrifice.
However, we cannot shrink back; the dispatch of the Self Defense Force has begun, and there is no reason to retreat from Japan's support for the reconstruction of Iraq.
In Iraq, an all-terrain vehicle in which two Japanese diplomats were riding was attacked, and This Guy Whose Name Is Hard to Read, This Other Guy Whose Name Is Hard to Read and three clerks have been confirmed to be dead. The likelihood that they encountered terrorists is high.
The deceased were on their way to a meeting concerning reconstruction support in northern Iraq, to be held in Tikrit, located north of Baghdad. Tikrit is Ex-President (I think that's what this title means) Hussein's hometown and the base of opposition to the American and British militaries.
Why was a meeting being held in such a place? Why were they traveling without bodyguards? The Japanese Foreign Affairs Ministry is investigating the background of the attack, and closely examining whether the event was related to negligence in intelligence gathering or safety measures, to be used henceforth.
Prime Minister Koizumi again emphasized that "We will not yield to terrorism, and our plan to devote all of our power to our supporting action in Iraq is unchanged." Naturally.
One of the Dead Men Whose Name I Can't Read wrote in a serial column called "Correspondence from Iraq" for the Foreign Affairs Ministry's homepage that we must be "strongly determined" not to yield to terrorism because of the countless precious lives that have been sacrificed to it.
Japan has a duty to fulfill the dying wish of these two diplomats who died so tragically: move in active support (of what is not mentioned, but presumably the reconstruction efforts).
Japan declared that action to ensure safety and humanitarian reconstruction must be "carried out quickly and appropriately" (at some meeting or something). The cabinet has decided on a basic plan for the dispatch of the Self Defense Force, and appears to be heading in the direction of dispatching an advance regiment (either within the year or before the year is up). This action is an international obligation.
With this event, once again arguments and concilatory speeches have been made by the opposition party (Democratic Party), among others. This is simply falling into the trap set by the powers of terrorism.
As for the stability of Iraq, this next half year will be decisively important. Next June, it is expected that the interim government will be inaugurated and power will be transferred to it.
The desire of many Iraqi citizens is an early recovery of sovereignty. For the sake of Iraqi independence, the international society must not slow its aid efforts.
Around Tikrit, terror attacks are still a frequent occurrence. Even after the official declaration that "the main fighting is over" in May, American military deaths have continued to increase, and terrorist targets have expanded to include the United Nations and other supporting countries.
And yet, among the countries giving aid to Iraq that have recieved the hard blow of the loss of life, such as Italy, Spain, all the others, and of course America, no country has withdrawn. If we neglect the chaos in Iraq and permit terrorists to roam freely, the entire international society will become unstable.
Japan as well cannot withdraw from the battle line of aid until the day that Iraq is stable.