Japan undaunted by diplomats slain in Iraq

By MASAYUKI KITANO and ELAINE LIES

TOKYO - An angry Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi vowed on Sunday not to be blown off course by the murder of two of his country's diplomats in northern Iraq -- the first Japanese casualties in Iraq since the US-led war began in March.

"Japan must not give in to terrorism," Koizumi told reporters. "We will firmly carry out our responsibilities for humanitarian aid and reconstruction (in Iraq). There is no change in this."

"Why does this kind of thing happen? I am furious."

The Foreign Ministry later advised all Japanese non-diplomatic citizens to leave Iraq due to the security risk.

News of the murders can only deepen the dilemma for Koizumi, who must balance the demands of vital security ties with the United States with the concerns of domestic voters, who are increasingly nervous about the dangers involved.

A senior leader of Japan's political opposition underlined the government's predicament, demanding a special session of parliament to deal with the issue.

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi told a news conference that diplomats Katsuhiko Oku, 45, and Masamori Inoue, 30, were killed in the attack, which occurred near Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, 175 km (110 miles) north of Baghdad.

A non-Japanese driver of the diplomats' vehicle was also injured in the attack, officials said.

Kawaguchi said, however, that Tokyo remained undaunted in its determination to fight terrorism and help rebuild Iraq.

"This incident is unforgivable," she said. "There is no wavering in our country's basic stance to actively carry out reconstruction aid for Iraq without giving in to terrorism."

Earlier, Kawaguchi had told reporters that Japan would continue to carefully assess the situation to decide when it could send troops to Iraq.

Toshimitsu Motegi, a cabinet minister who has worked with Inoue, said: "I'm sure they'd be upset if their deaths made Japan stop aid -- otherwise, what meaning was there to their efforts?

"We must overcome our grief and go on with reconstruction."

The two diplomats had been en route to a conference on the reconstruction of northern Iraq to be held in Tikrit, about 10-15km from the ambush site.

Political analysts say Koizumi, whose coalition retained power in a general election this month although with a reduced majority, risks a serious blow to his popularity if troops are sent to Iraq and deaths occur.

That would be an especially unwelcome prospect with an election for parliament's Upper House set for next July.

In an early sign of trouble, Katsuya Okada, secretary-general of the opposition Democratic Party -- which opposes sending troops -- issued a statement expressing "strong anger and dread."

"The government must be called to account for the wishful thinking of its predictions and safety measures (in Iraq)," Okada said, demanding convocation of a special parliamentary session.

Japan has passed a special law to enable it to send troops to Iraq but, in line with the nation's pacifist constitution, they can only be sent to "non-combat zones" and must take part only in reconstruction and humanitarian work.

Japan has also pledged $5 billion in grants and loans to rebuild Iraq, the biggest donor after the United States.

Koizumi said on Sunday that more safety measures were needed.

"We will have to determine the causes of this incident and take firmer defensive steps," he said. "There are areas (of Iraq) where safety can be assured and areas where it cannot."

Tokyo had inched closer to a troop dispatch on Friday, when Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba said a recent fact-finding mission had reported southern Iraq was relatively stable. Japan has been planning to send its forces to the town of Samawah.

A suicide bomb attack in nearby Nassiriya killed 19 Italians earlier in November, forcing Japan to put its plan to send troops by the end of the year on hold.

On Sunday Japanese appeared resigned to sending troops even though a poll last week showed only 10 per cent were in favour under present conditions.

"I believe we must make an international contribution through action," said Ayako Omomo, a 22-year-old student. "But they have to realise that there are no safe places in Iraq before they go."

(Additional reporting by MIDORIKO MORITA)

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq