A SEASON FOR REFLECTION
Major events have gripped the world since the early months of 2003. Although the coalition forces' offensive against Iraq came to an early end, establishment of postwar government and reconstruc-tion still seem out of reach as autumn deepens. Meanwhile, resur-facing suspicions of nuclear weapons development in the Democra-tic People's Republic of Korea brew tensions in northeast Asia.Recent issues of the Japanese edition of Gaiko Forum have featured such topics as diplomacy in the wake of the war in Iraq (July), crisis management and securing the safety of Japanese nationals in times of crisis (August), and progress in disarmament and non-prolifera-tion(September).
The question of clandestine weapons of mass destruction programs,one of the reasons cited for the war on Iraq, has yet to be resolved and will continue to be a serious issue in international affairs. Nakanishi Hiroshi's essay on military power in international politics offers cogent arguments and lucid insights in the effort to tackle such issues.
We are also delighted to present articles by three Japanese authors engaged in international diplomacy, each endeavoring in their respec-tive fields both from unique Japanese perspective and in a global con-text---a member of the United Nations inspection mission in Bagh-dad(Ueki Yasuhiro), a diplomat who has grappled with reconstruc-tion in Afghanistan in the wake of the "war on terror"(Miyahara Nobutaka), and a senior government official active in efforts to thwart illegal export of goods for potential military purposes to North Korea (Hosokawa Masahiko).
The convening of the Third Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD III) in early autumn this year demonstrates the steady attention focused on Africa in Japanese for-eign affairs since 1993. Evoking the leitmotif of "two doorways" and the thin line between advanced and backward that impinges on every consideration of Africa's problems, the essay by Ogura Kazuo (recent-ly appointed president of the Japan Foundation) calls attention to the relation of the search for Japanese identity to the "two doorways" of "advanced" and "underdeveloped."
This is indeed a season when we are reminded of how the serious consideration of international issues is an inextricable part of seeking a better understanding of ourselves and our own values and aspirations.
Ito Misako Editor
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Military Power in International Politics:Can the Beast Be Tamed?/Nakanishi Hiroshi
An author who won the 4th Yomiuri Yoshino Sakuzo Prize for his new book on international politics this year places the role of military might in international pol-itics in historical perspective.
United Nations Inspections in Iraq:Countering the Threat of WMD Proliferation/Ueki Yasuhiro
This is a report by a U.N. official who served as spokesman for the U.N. Iraq inspec-tion mission in Baghdad (consisting of UNMOVIC and the IAEA) from November 2002 until 17 March 2003, two days before the beginning of the war in Iraq.
Protecting Japanese Nationals Overseas:Learning from Lessons Past/Sato Hiroshi
On the day the Iraq war broke out there were a total of 5,044 Japanese nationals liv-ing in Iraq and neighbouring countries. A foreign ministry official looks back on the recent case of protecting Japanese nationals in the Middle East.
The Second Korean Nuclear Crisis:Beyond Deja Vu/C. Kenneth Quinones
This paper is by a former U.S. State Department officer in charge of Washing-ton--Pyongyang nuclear negotiations of 1993‐94. Noting that the framework is now virtually dead, he talks about the dim prospects for peace and stability in north-east Asia.
The Asian Arms Export Control Initiative:Forestalling WMD-related Procurement/Hosokawa Masahiko
Over the past year there were as many as fifteen cases in which the Japanese gov-ernment has preempted exports to North Korea of the goods suspected of being used for development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Peace and Stability in Afghanistan:A Japanese View of the Road Ahead/Miyahara Nobutaka
To what extent can the old Afghanistan change? In a report from Kabul, the author discusses how Japan can contribute to lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan.
A New Outlook on Africa:Reconsidering Japan's Foreign Policy/Ogura Kazuo
The Third Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD III) was held from 29 September to 1 October 2003. The author looks back on the development of Japan's diplomatic strategy vis-a-vis Africa over the past ten years,and reflects on why Africa is important to Japan today.
Philosopher in Washington: Oliver Franks/Hosoya Yuichi
What is lacking in Japanese diplomacy? Language skills or military might? It may be that these are not as important as the personal charisma and profound learning of individual diplomats. Herein lies the real source of strength in British diplomacy.
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