LONDON -- The Japanese government's decision to send members of the Self-Defense Forces to take part in humanitarian efforts in Iraq was a courageous one.
Japanese public opinion, like that in other developed countries, has been generally opposed to the war in Iraq, which was ostensibly waged because Iraq was thought to hold weapons of mass destruction. This opposition was reinforced for many people by the failure of coalition forces to find any such weapons.
The final capture of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is a relief for the Iraqi people and the coalition forces, but it is unlikely to make the occupation more palatable to the Iraqi people. Terrorists will not give up just because one obnoxious leader has been caught without a fight.