2RHPZ
08-22-2004, 09:44 AM
Soldiers returning from Iraq told to shed uniforms
TOKYO (AP) - Japanese soldiers returning from a tour of duty in Iraq this month got an unusual request from Tokyo airport authorities: don't wear your uniforms.
So a group of 82 soldiers coming back from their humanitarian mission in southern Iraq had to peel off their camouflage and buy suits and ties in Kuwait for the trip home, airport and government officials said Monday.
When they arrived at Tokyo International Airport at Narita on Aug. 7, the only hint of their military affiliation was the camouflage duffel bags on their carts. Japan's military was disappointed.
"Uniforms are our symbol. We went to represent our country, so why can't we wear our uniforms?" Gen. Hajime Massaki, chief of staff of the Ground Self-Defence Forces, protested last week.
Japan has dispatched about 550 ground troops to Iraq for a strictly humanitarian mission, the first time Japanese soldiers have gone to a combat zone since 1945.
The mission, however, has divided public opinion, and Japanese authorities have been careful not to inflame critics who fear the deployment is violating the country's pacifist constitution.
Narita officials say they were concerned about protests and complaints from civil groups demanding the airport not be used for military activity.
The airport has been dogged by protests for decades, and transport ministry official Satoshi Yamaguchi said Monday the government had agreed that it would never allow the airport to be used for the military.
"We have to keep our promise, as long as we receive complaints from the nearby residents," Yamaguchi said.
"I believe the Defence Agency understands the situation."
The airline, Singapore Airlines, also asked Japanese soldiers to wear civilian clothes on board, airport officials said.
It wasn't the first time Japan's soldiers have been told to keep a low profile.
http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/tue/aug17w22.htm
TOKYO (AP) - Japanese soldiers returning from a tour of duty in Iraq this month got an unusual request from Tokyo airport authorities: don't wear your uniforms.
So a group of 82 soldiers coming back from their humanitarian mission in southern Iraq had to peel off their camouflage and buy suits and ties in Kuwait for the trip home, airport and government officials said Monday.
When they arrived at Tokyo International Airport at Narita on Aug. 7, the only hint of their military affiliation was the camouflage duffel bags on their carts. Japan's military was disappointed.
"Uniforms are our symbol. We went to represent our country, so why can't we wear our uniforms?" Gen. Hajime Massaki, chief of staff of the Ground Self-Defence Forces, protested last week.
Japan has dispatched about 550 ground troops to Iraq for a strictly humanitarian mission, the first time Japanese soldiers have gone to a combat zone since 1945.
The mission, however, has divided public opinion, and Japanese authorities have been careful not to inflame critics who fear the deployment is violating the country's pacifist constitution.
Narita officials say they were concerned about protests and complaints from civil groups demanding the airport not be used for military activity.
The airport has been dogged by protests for decades, and transport ministry official Satoshi Yamaguchi said Monday the government had agreed that it would never allow the airport to be used for the military.
"We have to keep our promise, as long as we receive complaints from the nearby residents," Yamaguchi said.
"I believe the Defence Agency understands the situation."
The airline, Singapore Airlines, also asked Japanese soldiers to wear civilian clothes on board, airport officials said.
It wasn't the first time Japan's soldiers have been told to keep a low profile.
http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/tue/aug17w22.htm