TOKYO —

Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged the new civilian staff of the Defense Ministry on Tuesday to maintain discipline and live up to people’s expectations, reminding them of a spate of scandals involving the ministry as well as the Self-Defense Forces since last year.
   
‘‘As various problems have occurred, we need to be aware of our task and how we can change them without averting our eyes from the problems but to look directly into what has really happened,’’ Ishiba told a ceremony attended by some 120 new civilian recruits on their first day of work Tuesday, the start of fiscal 2008. ‘‘I want you to go forward with your duty believing that it will benefit the nation as well as the people…and realize peace in the international community,’’ Ishiba said.

› Login to comment

1 Comments

• 

  apecNetworks at 04:20 PM JST - 1st April

  *Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba should say this after the doors close:

  Gentlemen and Ladies, SDF has a problem w/ its reputation and it is you who must correct this problem. We must coordinate our efforts to make the SDF respected as a "World Class" institution.*

Register or Login to leave a comment