[War] Japan: "The Safety Express"

Sat Jul 22 14:17:18 EDT 2006

Meant to add the following to the end of the post:

http://www.crisscross.com/jp/news/378975 (I know the article says the 
Japanese are all out as of the 17th, changing things for the sake of the 
post.)

And the numbers for Thailand:
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/003200607180325.htm

Lastly a definition of giri: can mean a social obligation like the 
giri-choko (obligatory chocolate) given the boss on Valentines in Japan, or 
more often an informal debt of obligation between two people and and 
integral part of interpersonal relationships in Japanese politics.

>From: "Ian Martell" <martellian at hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: war at esteroic.com
>To: war at esteroic.com
>Subject: [War] Japan: "The Safety Express"
>Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2006 11:06:25 -0700
>
>“The Safety Express"
>Prime Minister Shunichi Sato
>Japan
>July 21st 2006
>
>Sato returned to his residence after the Press Conference only to find that 
>a folder from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been delivered. Shaking 
>his head Sato picked it up and opened it. Inside was a yellow sticky note 
>reading: Ishikawa good choice – Takezo.
>
>Sato took the note off and crumpled it up and carefully tossed it away, he 
>was glad to see his plans for dealing with the New Komeito were moving 
>apace and that Takezo was involved now. They were as close to friends as 
>you could be in politics, which is to say they liked and respected each 
>other but didn’t trust each other much further than they would any man not 
>bound by giri to you.
>
>Moving past Takezo’s note he saw the folder contained the plans for the 
>evacuation of the Japanese citizens from Lebanon. Of the seventy registered 
>residents, sixteen left before the fighting intensified to its current 
>level, fifty-four were staying as part of the Embassy staff in Beirut 
>leaving twelve who needed to be evacuated and those twelve were being 
>comfortably housed in the Embassy while the diplomatic corps in both 
>Lebanon and Syria arranged the plans for their departure. Which Sato read 
>would be to board a bus hired by the Embassy and be escorted northern 
>border with Syria where they’d then be escorted by their Syrian Embassy 
>staff to Aleppo where they’d board a Japan Airlines jet sent from Rome to 
>take them home. It was simple and effective.
>
>Then the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency called. Sato’s 
>phone in the residence rung with the distict tones of the line to the 
>office. He walked briskly over to it curious about what might be awaiting 
>him and hoping it wasn’t an early belligerent response to his speech.
>“Yes, hello?”
>
>“Sorry to disturb you Mr. Prime Minister,” said the voice of his secretary 
>Yurika. “But there is a call from Grand Steward Matsumoto of the Imperial 
>Household Agency.”
>
>“Really, please put it through.”
>
>“Right away Mr. Prime Minister.”
>
>The line switched over with a click and Sato said. “Hello? Matsumoto-san?”
>
>“Prime Minister Sato I hear you.” The Steward Matsumoto said in the 
>measured tones of one used to ritual of speech and address. “How are you 
>this afternoon?”
>
>“Well Grand Steward thank you, and yourself?”
>
>“Well,” replied the Steward. “However I have been given a task by His 
>Imperial Highness and I had hoped you could help me Mr. Prime Minister.”
>
>Sato nodded curiosity piqued about what task the Grand Steward could be 
>given that would require a call without any warning.
>
>“His Imperial Highness has asked me to discover if it is possible for us to 
>help the Thais remove their citizens from Lebanon.”
>
>Ceremonial head of state or not a request from the Emperor was not to be 
>taken lightly. However he did have to admit, the Emperor also had good 
>reasons for his concerns for the Thai people, his closest friends outside 
>of Japan were the Thai Royal couple, continuing a centuries long 
>relationship between the Imperial and Royal families of both nations, that 
>had even brought Thailand into World War II on the side of Japan. This was 
>the consideration of a long time friend seeing an opportunity for kindness. 
>However there were issues of precedent to consider as well.
>
>“His Imperial Highness will of course understand that this decision to aide 
>the Thais can come from no other body but the Cabinet.”
>
>“Of course Mr. Prime Minister,” said the Grand Steward. “His Imperial 
>Highness is aware of what his role in national affairs is and merely asks 
>to see what if anything can be done.”
>
>“Of course, Grand Steward, however his questions would resound to some like 
>an order. Still, there is no harm in helping our friends, I’ll see to it 
>that the offer is tendered by our Foreign Ministry before the end of the 
>day.”
>
>“Thank you Mr. Prime Minister,” Matsumoto said. “I will relay your words to 
>His Imperial Highness.”
>
>The Grand Steward hung up.
>
>“Bastard,” Sato said hanging up the phone. While he held a deep regard for 
>the Imperial Family and Emperor Akihito in particular he despised the 
>self-important toadies that made up the Imperial Household Agency it seemed 
>they could say nothing without sounding condescending.
>
>Picking up the phone again he called the office of the Minister of Foreign 
>Affairs and waited for Takezo to answer.
>
>Half an hour later the two men met in the residence.
>
>“Hmm a tricky precedent for the Imperial Household Agency,” Takezo said as 
>Sato wrapped up his version of the call. “However it is in their rights to 
>make inquiries on behalf of the Emperor.”
>“True, though that’s usually in regards to their budget or the approval of 
>gifts to and from the Imperial Family,” Sato said. “But anyhow, is it 
>possible?”
>
>“We would need to change our requests of the Syrian government and of Japan 
>Airlines,” Takezo said. “However if we are doing it for one nation why not 
>more, certainly there’s no more room on our bus, but all JAL had in the 
>region was a 747 so we have 563 available seats and between the Thais and 
>our citizens we’ll only fill 87 of them.”
>
>“You mean follow India’s example and offer to assist other nations evacuate 
>their citizens?” Sato asked.
>
>Takezo nodded. “We could form bus convoy to Aleppo then have the plane head 
>to East making the necessary stops along the way.”
>
>Sato nodded. “By all means then,” he said.
>
>“We shouldn’t have any problems getting them out even China has barely have 
>more than a hundred citizens in Lebanon.”
>
>“Good,” Sato said. “Though, where did we find the money to compensate JAL 
>and arrange all this?” the budget of the Japanese government was always 
>tight despite the massive overruns that occurred every year.
>
>“Well it was originally thought we should take it out of our yearly aid 
>amount to Lebanon however pending the approval of the Cabinet of course we 
>thought that we should deduct it from the aid money normally sent to North 
>Korea but frozen by our recent sanctions.”
>
>Sato smiled. “A better use than it was being put to before,” he said. 
>Everyone knew monetary aid never saw the people, it was what North Korea 
>used to finance the missiles they were pointing at Japan.
>
>“I thought you would approve,” Takezo smiled.
>
>“We’ll discuss the funding at the next meeting of the Cabinet unless there 
>are immediate needs?”
>
>“No, the bus was rented out of the Embassy’s discretionary funds and the 
>President of Japan Airlines was too kind and never mentioned compensation 
>however I think the constitution is clear on the matter, we must agree to 
>give them something.”
>
>Sato nodded. “Full charter rates will be fine as our opening offer, he’ll 
>refuse and likely agree to half.”
>
>Takezo nodded his agreement on that assessment. “Likely,” he said. “Anyhow 
>Mr. Prime Minister, shall I get this plan in motion? I have to leave early 
>tonight, Akira, Hiroshi and I have a meeting to attend.”
>
>Sato nodded. “Very good, please proceed Minister Takezo,” he said as he 
>rose and escorted Takezo out of the residence their minds and conversation 
>moving on to more casual topics.
>
>Actions:
>
>1> Contact Syrian and Lebonese governments and secure safe and speedy 
>passage through Northern Lebanon to Aleppo in Syria. Perfectly willing to 
>allow Syrian customs officials to escort the bus convoy from the border to 
>the tarmac to ensure everyone goes directly from the bus to the plane.
>
>2> Contact the Thai government and volunteer the use of the Japanese bus 
>and plane for the removal of the rest of their citizens still in Lebanon.
>
>3> Contact the governments of China and South Korea to offer them the 
>chance to join the convoy and fly their citizens home on the 747.
>
>4> Once a final tally is done of Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Korean 
>citizens being evacuated offer the empty spaces to other East Asian and 
>South East Asian nations and provide them with an additional bus if 
>necessary. And as a gesture of peaceful intent, this offer is open even to 
>North Korea.
>
>5> Reimburse the Embassy and JAL from the foreign aid funds normally spent 
>on North Korea.
>
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