Tim Blair

The only thing Galloway needed to see was the rights before selling them to someone else.

On the other hand, perhaps he added that one to so many thousands of the other barrels hidden in the privet hedge.

Do you reckon they give him oil, or just a barrel?

Too bad they couldn't have arranged the return of all the oil he was bribed with, and set that out front in his car port. What was it, 2 or 3 million barrels?

That NYTimes article managed to tippi toe around why the Japanese Saddam supporters were so roundly reviled in their own country.

THey implied it had something to do with a Japanese bushido honor code, so obscure that we simple Anglos couldn't possibly fathom, much less relate.

NYFucktards.

They may have left the swords and bows behind to take up the modern weapons of industry and commerce, but the samurai spirit remains strong in the Land of the Rising Sun.

If Galloway can drag a 200 litre barrel of oil, he must have been working out like a maniac! It would weigh well over a quarter of a ton.

Maybe he got Saddam to help him?

I thought some Japanese hostages were accused have having conspired with their captors? What happened to that?

The Japanese reaction could be more to do with the stories circulating that the three hostages cooked up the plan to force the Japanese Government to pull out its troops. In other words, the Japanese public may well believe these three "left-wing warriors" are simply actor-hostages.

To add insult to injury, the three contemplated staying in Iraq after their release. Little wonder they got such a rough homecoming.

Thanks. I remember reading an article about it, but darned if I can remember where.

"Those Japanese hostages have received the homecoming they deserve"

Why do they deserve insults upon returning? What did they do that was so wrong in your eyes, Tim? Getting kidnapped? Being in Iraq?

ForNow (and fatfingrs).

Try these news sites:

Middle East Online

"some individuals try to force their cause or conviction"

Japan Today

There's a lot more to this Japanese hostage bullshit to hit the fan yet! Curious that their mate, Aussie Donna Mulhearns, is maintaining such a low profile since her return. Maybe she's just waiting for Woman's Day or New Idea to cough up?

"Why do they deserve insults upon returning? What did they do that was so wrong"

They appear to have admitted to staging at least their screams.
From Tiny's link:
"TOKYO — Iraqi militants asked three Japanese nationals to pretend to be scared when videotaping them after kidnapping them earlier this month, Japanese police sources said Tuesday after interviewing the trio"
Given the horror that must have caused for their family and friends, I'd say they at least deserved some admonishment.

Hey. Look. fatfingers posted without checking the facts again. What a surprise.

Those Japanese "hostages" deserve what the others taken in copy-cat kidnappings actually got!

>> If Galloway can drag a 200 litre barrel of oil ...

It's not hard. You just tip it over and roll it. Getting it upright again is a little more difficult, however.

I have to admit I didn't know why the Japanese were so upset with these 3. I had thought they were sanctioned Humanitarian relief workers and/or journalists.

I have to say I'm still having a hard time being upset with someone trying to help children, if that was the case. Stupid maybe...

I'll have to do some more reading on this.

Bravo Japan! If only the rest of the civilized world could heap enough scorn and contempt on our own Leftists to produce a degree of shame in them. But unfortunately most on the Left have neither shame nor conscience.

The criminal George Galloway was at least being sincere when he ranted "No War for Oil". Had he succeeded in stopping the war, then oil money would have continued to flow his way. He might as well have been shouting "Status Quo for Oil".

Ditto the French, Russians and other such principled war opponents.

The Japanese are a proud people. It must have galled them to be out-bushido'd by Fabrizzio Quartocchi.

Although I must say, it's a switch seeing returning _hippies_ being insulted in the airports...

>> "It's not hard. You just tip it over and roll it. Getting it upright again is a little more difficult, however."

You don't tip it over. You tip it to about a 15 degree angle and roll it on it's rim. It's not hard if it is on a hard surface (like a drive surface like a paved driveway or sidewalk). I've done it. It does get much harder if the surface is soft.

A 200 liter barrel of oil will weigh less than 200 kilos (440 lbs.) and is actually fairly easy to move on a hard surface. All you have to do is tilt it so that it is balanced on one point on the rim and then roll it while maintaining that balance. I've done this with 55 gallon drums full of alloy chain weighing up to 600 lbs. The problem with doing it outdoors is that it will dig into the soil.

I'm not sure the official rules and regulations on petroleum storage and disposal condone the hiding of oil behind a privet hedge. Maybe it will be necessary to contact whatever environmental agency covers South London.

Hey. Look. fatfingers posted without checking the facts again. What a surprise.

And he still can't spell his own troll-name. Heh.

Dash- I understand. I've gotten the impression that these guys weren't quite aid-workers so much as they were more of those Human Shield idjits. If that's true, protecting a regime like Saddam's kinda invalidates any care they gave to the people he oppressed.

Still, I want to read up more on their backstory myself.

The NYTimes article about the return of the Japanese hostages is not entirely accurate (wotta surprise!).

I don't think the guy holding the harsh sign at the airport is representative of general public opinion, which I would characterize as "disapproval" not "hatred and scorn" as the NYT headlines blares.

They were foolish and their acts endangered a hell of a lot more than merely their own lives. They were definitely idiotarians and I myself have wanted a chance to shake some sense into them - especially the guy who was there to do "amateur reporting on the effects of DU munitions", obviously a Japanese John Pilger protoge. But us rightwing hawks should not get so far gone in our disapproval of the moonbats as to wish for their execution at the hands of the Keffiyah and AK crowd.

"Hey. Look. fatfingers posted without checking the facts again. What a surprise."

And look, Fatfingers' IP is banned again. What a surprise.

Thank you, Tony.

Also, I found the article I was thinking of.

“Big news brewing in Japan?” The American Thinker, April 21st, 2004

It discusses the possibility that the hostages weren’t really hostages, with various links.

It appears that Japanese tend to feel that the ex-hostages were either (A) lying & trying to emotionally manipulated the Japanese people to affect government poliy, or (B) stooges more or less willing to allow real kidnappers to use them to that same end. That one or two of the ex-hostages spoke of staying in Iraq helped firm up that perception.

Hi Tim

I notice the piece underneath the Gallons-away article spoke of the whole issue damaging the "UN's credibility". What credibility would that be, then?
Cheers