Gov't rebukes Hatoyama over Iran visit, criticizing IAEA

Who? I can't keep up with the PM's in Japan

Who? I can't keep up with the PM's in Japan

Other members of the Ex-Prime Minister Club. Membership is getting bigger every year.

Geez, where was this courage and dedication when he was Prime Minister?

The new Jimmy Carter. At least Cart had 4 years under his belt. Maybe Hatoyama will start building houses up in Fukushima now.

Perhaps if the media didn't give him anytime, he'd go away? He had his turn, now bugger off.

US and allies believe Iran is building nuclear weapons....the same belief they had with Iraq. And what did they find in Irag when they invaded it? Only 19th century rifles and a dead cat! So hatoyama may be after all right that IAEA is unfair to Iran. And who is the CEO of Iran? A Japanese!!!!!!

US and allies believe Iran is building nuclear weapons....the same belief they had with Iraq. And what did they find in Irag when they invaded it? Only 19th century rifles and a dead cat! So hatoyama may be after all right that IAEA is unfair to Iran. And who is the CEO of IAEA? A Japanese!!!!!!

Fujimura said Monday that Hatoyama’s reported comments were at odds with Tokyo’s position.

So, Mr. Fujimura has a problem with differing opinion in a democratic government? Nice to know come election time!

I say good on Hatoyama for going to see what's up for himself, rather than warm a Diet bench in Japan and trust the official mouthpieces for everything.

Hardly a private visit when he publically met with the President! I mean, who holidays in Iran anyway??!

But yes, I agree, at least he had the stones to go and see, rather than voicing opinions from the comfort of Nagatacho.

making iran isolated in the world , same thing they did with iraq more than 20 years ago. when they saw iraq is so weak , they attacked, thousand innocent people died. who cares? in result they got oil resources , so no need to buy oil from iran we can sell you from iraq............

they are telling iran not to make which already they have. they need excuses to make their policies.

anyway in the end evil never suceed. thats true.

The alternative to dialogue is a robust bombing.....hats off to Hatoyama methinks

How many more foreign policy miscues can this guy make? If he had done what he was counseled to do by various experts in his own government, he would have kept his mouth shut regarding the Futenma Replacement Facility move to Henoko and we would no doubt be fairly far along with closing Futenma and moving 8K Marines to Guam........real progress.

I can only assume two possible reasons why he went:

His mother owns a lot of stock in Iranian affiliated oil companies.........

His wife told him to go after she talked to the late Shaw (as we all know, she "talks with dead people"...........)

a ticking off  aka sucking air through teeth

"Hatoyama... something of a loose cannon"

A loopy loose cannon!

"good on Hatoyama"

"hats off to Hatoyama"

His own party isn't saying those things.

At least Hatoyama has a few original ideas in his head unlike the usual politico robots.......

Iran must be laughing their asses off with this little PR coup.

hato's mother shud cut off his allowance so he cant afford to leave the country & cause trouble, clearly he shud be grounded!

GW: "Hato's mother shud cut off his allowance"

Har!

"Visiting former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama met Saturday with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi in the Iranian capital, telling him no nation should possess nuclear weapons." - and that's a naughty?

Good for Hatoyama....!!!'n

Wish this guy was still PM and thinking for himself. Japan ought to be neutral and not just a puppet of the US.

Just ignore Hatoyama and he will go away by himself (and Mrs and aliens in the UFOs).

Hatoyama is so good! He real patriot of Japan!

Hatoyama has been well and truly played by Iran. He has embarrassed himself and yet again exposed his lack of gravitas and statesmanship. He carries no weight on the international political scene. Only hubris made him think otherwise. He is now denying Iran's claims that he criticized the IAEA. If he did, he should be man enough to stand his ground and say why. If he didn't, he shows his poor judgement in the whole situation.

Bessonov - like you, I too wish Japan had more influence on the world stage, but this muppet Hatoyama is not the person to do it for you. Japan should do better than this.

Hatoyama YES.

The DPJ understands the situation better than Hatoyama.

The DPJ is still infighting and their fights has spread to diplomatic views!

Japan and Germany are still paying the price of WW2. they should learn how to say no for the sake of their people.

It's counterproductive to seek nuclear nonproliferation only by forbidding a non nuclear country to have nukes. A nuclear power should also be urged to reduce nukes and be forbidden to make a nuke attack on a non-nuclear. Unless you have it, you would be attacked. Here lie the root causes of the Iranian and North Korean nuclear development problem. Only a loopy jester in his capacity as ex premier can poke this sore point without much compromising the role model status of the vassal government by making it appear just his another usual laughingstock. As Saadi may or may not have written, Seek no position more laudable than that of being known to the world as a man of laughable character.