Japan Denies Making $5-Billion Offer to Iraq to Withdraw
Japan on Friday denied a report that Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu has offered Iraq $5 billion to persuade it to withdraw from Kuwait.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Taizo Watanabe dismissed the report in the Spectator, a British weekly magazine.
“It’s another ugly example of the preconceived idea about what Japan is like and a kind of bias against the position of the Japanese government,” said Watanabe.
The article, parts of which were reprinted by Japanese newspapers Friday, said Kaifu proposed paying Iraq $5 billion if it withdraws from Kuwait but said his offer was rejected.
Kaifu has said he did not offer Iraq money to withdraw but has made it clear through diplomatic channels that Japan is prepared to help Iraq with reconstruction after the Gulf War.
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