The Middle East is complicated and Japan's presence and role there has been limited for various reasons. Having goodwill and the intention to be on the side of the good guys are not necessarily going

Not so sure I can identify any "good guys".

Yeah, unless you've got some fighter pilots in need of bombing practice in Syria, not sure what Japan can really offer that isn't covered by the other developed countries unwilling to commit ground troops (and I say this including the US)

Not so sure I can identify any "good guys".

Mizuame -- you beat me to it. Certainly, anyone who slaughters people for religious reasons is not a "good guy". But, on the other hand, ripping apart a country and ancient culture in Iraq, and unleashing ethnic and religious hatred that killed thousands of people, does not make anyone a "good guy" either. Especially since that failed country is where ISIS has gotten a foot-hold. Clearly, in the case of the Middle East, "good" is a relative term.

Agree. Japan has no business in the Middle East nor should it give money or otherwise get involved.

But, on the other hand, ripping apart a country and ancient culture in Iraq, and unleashing ethnic and religious hatred that killed thousands of people, does not make anyone a "good guy" either

They were doing plenty good at doing that before the US arrived. Just saying.

scipan - really?? I seem to remeber Iraq wasn't being ripped apart under Saddam. sure if you were a Shia or a Kurd or a dissident then life was rather awful (or even deadly), but wasn't the chaos that exists now...... Just saying

Mizuame.....

Not so sure I can identify any "good guys".

This man is an advisor of Abe, and Abe can. He is a real professor and works for the good guys (at Bloomberg) himself. That is why the politically extremly well educated japanese public elected him. Who else would you trust to re-write the history-books for school children, if not Abe.