Japan, Iran, 5 others competing for seats on U.N. Security Council

Poor Iran... They can always come here for support, if that helps.

The US and Japan, who fund nearly half the annual UN budget, need to stop wasting money on this failed institution. Shut it down.

Iceland!! You must joking innit? They can't even run their own business selling frozen grub. i heard on the box their banks are skint.

what did they do with all the money spent on their frozen foods? It's a scandal.

Given Iran has been flouting sanctions there is no way it can be rewarded with a seat. It has to go to Japan.

If they can't get a seat are they allowed to stand in the aisles or lean against one of the desks? I bet you could really increase representation that way. Alternatively, why not just get a bigger room so every nation can have a seat?

Japan is too weak for that position! If it could only have a little bit of muscles like Iran.

The US deserves in, especially once Obama takes office... that's about it. Japan certainly does not. But given the competition for the remaining spot, it's hard to say who should get it.

Iran or Japan? That's a no brainer. Except of course for the usual rabid J-haters.

Yea a choice between Japan and Iran? Come on my friends, even the most anti Japan/Japanese fanatics out there are hard pressed to come out with ANY excuse or reasoning to favor Iran over Japan on UN security council seat. But then again, I wouldn't put it beneath anyone to come up with even the most far fetched example of why Iran is better equipped to get the seat over Japan; after all no matter how bad or terroristic/evil a country is, for many if you compare that country to Japan, Japan will always lose out, sickeningly.

Japan doesn't officially have an army. They have a Self Defense force. Plus Japan doesn't abide by the UN rules against racial discrimination. THey have no place applying for the security counsil. Internationally Japan is a freaking joke.

Internationally Japan is a freaking joke.

Differences between anything UN related and Japan are minimal and insignficant compared to the fact that Japan is second biggest contributor to the UN, after the United States. Japan has always been a member of the G6 to G7 to G8. If Japan is a joke internationally, that's going to come as a surprise to the US, EU and all the advanced developed nations.

A law abiding, IAEA compliant nation which has not invaded or threatened its neighbors, (unlike the USA and "israel" (spit!) much less raped and pillaged its way across a continent and then denied it, unlike Japan, definitely deserves a UNSC seat. Until Japan acknowledges its culpability in the Rape of Nan King it should be relegated to the dust heap of history, denied any further Olympic bids, be blacklisted by tourists and itself be sanctioned for blatant Government sponsored xenophobia. Iran, anyday for the UNSC. Anyday. At least you know where you stand with them. They won't blatantly lie to your face like the LDP led Japanese govt. et al.

Japan is in a very special position to be in UNSC. It is an economic power house of the world, even its potentially to become a great millitary power it wants only to solve all disputes by peaceful means,its contribution to UN budget is great, its contributions to developments of Asia,Africa and elsewhere are also great...and many more. It OVERqualifies the UNSC seat already,it more than deserves the seat. Iran has all teeth and claws but nothing else to contribute to the world!

"Iran has all teeth and claws but nothing else to contribute to the world!" Isn't that the USA? Address the issues like an intelligent person. Can you IMAGINE transporting the dithering of Nagata-cho, and the enmity created between Japan, Korea and China to the floor of the Security Council when an intelligent, expeditious solution to a real problem was urgently needed? Japan's response: "Head tilted to one side. Sharp intake of breath through clenched teeth. Silence....silence....silence. 'Ah, so desu neh!'" THIS kind of contribution, a la Samawa, the world can most definitely do without. Japan, an apartheid, faded, asbestos filled, intellectual and political dwarf excuse for a nation on all levels, has no place in the execution of the business of the international community. Period. Just let them work in their dreary factories, take their pay and think they live a superior life. Do what they do best. Work til they drop.

Just in, Japan won the temporary Security Council seat over Iran.

Congratulations.

"Address the issues like an intelligent person"...isn't that you are speaking to yourself? You pro Iran because you HATE Japan /US so much that you are blind to the degree that you can't see any great contributions of these two powers to the world? If this is your attitude ,it is hopeless to talk to you anyway.

Congrats Japan.

Congratulations to Japan indeed, a long fought and hard won battle to rightfully earn its place on the security council. The bigots here have once again been embarrased at their simple mindedness. For anyone to remotely favor Iran, labeled an axis of evil and supposed supplier of the insurgency in Iraq, over Japan is the height of insanity. Anyone that purports to love America or freedoms in the world to insult Japan at the expense of Iran should be truly ashamed of themselves.

Once again congratulations to Japan, they've earned it with their spending and contributions to the world (unlike Iran or others).

Can you IMAGINE transporting the dithering of Nagata-cho, and the >enmity created between Japan, Korea and China to the floor of the >Security Council when an intelligent, expeditious solution to a real >problem was urgently needed?

That's very easy to imagine. China and Japan now enjoy a close cooperative relationship. Skorea doesn't matter. NKorea isn't even a member.

158 votes out of 190, Japan won this non permanent .with no veto power seat of UNSC. Congratulations to Japan.

But Iranians expel USA from their country at 30 years ago! and japanese >even cannot expel US soldiers!

Will you please catch up to reality? Japan isn't trying to expel the US Military. They are there by arrangement because the Japanese govt wants them to be there.

It appears that these UN Security Council wannabe positions are held by small nations with little diplomatic pull. Libya, Vietnam, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica and Croatia are current temp UNSC members.

But at the very least, these seats with no veto power will advise the permanent members and serve them well.

If I had to choose between Iran and Japan I would give the seat to Japan - the lesser of two evils.

I see that no one addresses the real issue. The UNSC is as powerful as the cleaning lady of your subway station's resting area. Just ask yourself, did it stop the Iraq war? Did it stop masacres in Africa, Russian invasion of Georigia, etc? Did it make the world we live in more secure? UNSC membership is a status simbol with ever less meaning to us on the ground.

He has as much right as any to spend his money where and how he wants.

But in this case that's not the critical point.

It's his manner and timing. To do a "patronizing visit to the poor peoples supermarket for the press" - and I was squirming when I watched it - and then switching hats soon after and defending it as "my style and I'm not changing" certainly creates an air of arrogance.

A wiser politician of any bent would be acting differently. He does himself no justice with his attitude and the press - esp weekly - will milk it for heaps.

Sadly I'd say he's just another spooner gumming up the works.