Andreas Kolb claims in his Nov. 9 letter, "Clear-cut violation of rights," that even if Gen. Tamogami opinion's is stupid and violates the simplest historical facts, he still has a right to it. Government officials -- as opposed to private citizens or elected representatives -- occupy their posts on the understanding that what they write or say publicly will not be in conflict with the policies of their government.
For example, if an official at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo or Jakarta publicly had disagreed with President George W. Bush's decision to overthrow Saddam Hussein, his/her future with the State Department would have been precarious indeed.
Tamogami's article was in clear opposition to statements made by the Japanese government concerning the Pacific War, especially the 1995 Murayama statement. The government was completely justified in forcing him out of the top ASDF post.
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