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  Dogdog at 10:59 AM JST - 12th October

  The LDP policy concerning the abductees was doomed from the start (2001) and the problem of the abductees should have been kept at the familial / low diplomacy level, but oh no Ishihara, Abe and the other right wing cohorts had to make it a national campaign of being another example of Japanese victimhood.

  Now as the families of the abducted, who I have nothing but symapthy for, sit there, no better off than when the Japanese right wing took up there cause as a mainstay of Japanese diplomacy in north east Asia, the political elites in Japan will move on, well aware that if they don't and continue this policy they risk further irrelevence on the diplomatic front.

  The end result, in a year from now, if you were to bring up the issue of the abductees in general conversation, your Japansee friends will tilt their head to the left and search their memory for any recollection of the episode and the parents of the abducted will become a national embarrasement to those in power who once took up their cause.

  You've got to love situational morality and the Japanese who have taken it to such extremes, where history is only important if it serves today's goals.

  The whole episode has been very sad and badly run by those in power in japan.

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  Pukey2 at 12:11 PM JST - 12th October

  I feel for these families, but the country as a whole has to get their priorities right. b

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  Farmboy at 01:06 PM JST - 12th October

  I personally find it amazing that any country would be so passive for so long about its citizens being kidnapped. If the Self Defense Forces can act in self-defense, the kidnapping should have been addressed as soon as it happened, many years ago.

  This is not a US issue, however, it is a Japanese one. The US will do what is needed to prevent North Korea from pursuing nuclear weapons, and that in itself is good for Japan, even though the parents of the kidnapped people would prefer to see the abduction issue as a necessary issue to be resolved before NK can lose the terrorist rating.

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  tzvete at 02:06 PM JST - 12th October

  It's hard to stay cool when watching someyhing like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7nY3OrcjqE

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  mtt at 02:51 PM JST - 12th October

  Sure, it must be really tough to be in their position. But they as well as the J-government must know that keeping NK on the list won't bring their people back to Japan. NK has kept on building bombs through famines, floods and starvations, and it should be clear to them the same old hard lines against them won't work.
  Hope the J-government is taking their stances just for shaking them up and buying time by creating obstacles.

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  shuuu at 07:07 AM JST - 13th October

  I have no love for North Korea (they can all starve for all I care), but the "U.S. betrayal of Japan" comments by the family representative are really stupid.

  Of course, if he really has the urge to point the betrayal finger, he need not look farther than his own government which sat by twidling its collective thumbs for decades.

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  LIBERTAS at 07:46 AM JST - 13th October

  As sad as it is, these families need a "Come to Jesus!" meeting with Aso. They ain't NEVER comin' back.

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  rjd_jr at 11:14 AM JST - 13th October

  Oh, I should mention that if anyone here hasn't had their loved ones abducted by another country, then they have absolutely no right to criticize, stereotype, or insult another country or its people.

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  OnTheRecord at 11:17 AM JST - 13th October

  rjd jr- So i assume you have not had any family members kidnapped, will you never criticize Japan neighbors again? Abductees families can be upset, it is irrelevent ot evry nation except Japan.

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  Farmboy at 12:55 PM JST - 13th October

  rid jr, That's a rather broad statement, and I'm not exactly sure what you're saying.

  The comment, "Masumoto described its delisting as an act of ‘‘betrayal’’ of Japan," is insulting, and people have every right to respond to it, in my opinion.

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  toadold at 01:27 PM JST - 13th October

  Part of the Problem, from my conservative Republican viewpoint, is the tendency of the US State Department to "capture" policy with the view point that you can negotiate with narcistic and/or sociopathic dictators, make concessions and still get something. While I am a Bush supporter, this is just one of the many issues that I disagree with. Diplomacy will sometimes work with the crazy ideologues when there is a large probability of violence lurking in the background. For an example, Khadafy of Libia started making "serious" deals right after the US invasion of Iraq. A number of Middle Eastern Countries got interested in friendly relations with the US after that.
  There is an old saying, "Two wrongs don't make a right." The behaviour of the pre-War Japanese government can't be used as an exuse to justify the abductions of inocent people by a communist N. Korean regime that hasn't hesitated to starve its own people.

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  reddragonguy at 11:07 AM JST - 14th October

  If it (the Japanese government) cannot persuade an allied country (not to change the list), how can it persuade North Korea and bring back the abducted victims? BETRAYAL!

  So this is the US/Japan alliances.....And japan's security was in seige! Now I got it..if China,Russia,North korea can made an offer to appease washington they could do whatever they like in the western pacific!

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  reddragonguy at 11:11 AM JST - 14th October

  Thats really funny,why did the nationals safety of a country relys on the stake of US? Does the US Japan alliances mandated this is an obligations for US to solve the abductees issue?

  Japan was definately a pacifist nation, with a useless government like this and rarely seen the people fury over this problem! perhaps the people has given up their hope long already!

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  reddragonguy at 11:15 AM JST - 14th October

  United States had failed to provide cooperation to help the abducted citizens of its allies

  Back to 1960s....they should back on streets call up all the college/university students to protest the US/Japan security pact...that maybe helpful!

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  reddragonguy at 11:22 AM JST - 14th October

  The north Korean regieme has abducted the Japanese nationals instead of US nationals so they are irrelevant to the term 'terrorists' in Bush's mind.

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