CNBNews

Commentary Report by Hank F. Miller Jr.

I happen to pick this commentary up on one of the many news sources that I have access to here in Japan. I also thought that you may want to read what you may not have the opportunity to read in the local newspapers back in the States.

Ayman al-Zawahri, second in command of al-Qaida, vowed Tuesday to punish Western countries that participated in the Iraq war, hinting that Japan could be a target and advising it to end its alliance with "America who had occupied, looted, humiliated and bombed them with nukes."

The comment by Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, a response to a question submitted by Kyodo News, here in Japan was heard on a 2 hour, 36-minute audiotape of al Zawahri that surfaced early Tuesday on militant Web sites.

Bin Laden's right-hand man was answering questions submitted by hundreds of al-Qaida followers, critics and journalists on major Islamic Web sites used by Islamic militants.

The al-Qaida media arm, Al-Sahib media in December that al-Zawahri would receive questions from the public and would answer them "as soon as possible."Today's message is one of two lengthy audiotapes by al-Zawahri answering questions posted last year.

Asked by Kuodo, using a different name, if al-Qaida intends to "punish the Western countries that have contributed troops to Iraq." al-Zawahri said:" My answer is: Yes! We believe that any country that participated in the aggression on Muslims must be deterred."Asked by Kyodo if Japan remains a target because it sent troops to Iraq, al-Zawahri said:"Japan provided the so-called assistance under the flag of the crusader coalition as part of the propaganda for the crusader forces invading the homelands of Islam. It did not provide this assistance through charitable organizations and thus it is participating in the crusader campaign against the lands of Islam."Why did the Japanese start the aggression on us within the alliance of the Americans?...Our Islamic faith incites us to resist the despots and tyrants, even if they were the most powerful force on Earth...so will Japan learn a lesson from this?" he said. Japan sent a 600-member noncombat Self-Defense Force group to Samawah in southern Iraq to carry out reconstruction work such as repairing buildings and providing medical assistance. The action, unpopular with Japanese public, was thought by many to violate the pacifist Constitution.

Although the ground troops were withdrawn in 2006, the Air Self-Defense Force airlift activities still continue to and from Iraq.

"If Japan has given up its arms, why did it send troops to our lands under the flag of the crusader campaign?" asked al-Zawahri.

In 2004, al-Zawahri reportedly called for attacks on the interests of the United States and Britain as well as their allies such as Japan. Al-Qaida has constantly tried to get the Japanese people riled up against sending any help to any troubled area of the world and it has been working, there are many issues that are troubling to the Japanese people about taking any part militarily to help the Americans. Every day I hear on the radio, read in newspapers and see on television complaints and protests from many Japanese citizens about our troops being stationed here in Japan especially on Okinawa, many people want our troops out of Japan completely. They do not realize that our troops here are to protect them the Japanese people and to deter the North Koreans and Chinese so they will not become aggressive.

Warm Regards from Kitakyushu City, Japan

Hank F. Miller Jr.