Top defense bureaucrat likely sought troop data coverup: sources

While the media concentrate on who did what in the loss, discovery, reloss, rediscovery and destruction of the records.

The real question is, what are in them.

The activity logs contained controversial information pertaining to the security situation in South Sudan.

Any government documents suggesting a conflict situation in South Sudan would be sensitive in Japan,

What actuaally happened?

What actuaally happened?

Who knows, but I suspect the old saying; 'the cover up is worse than the crime' will also hold true in this case.

Any government documents suggesting a conflict situation in South Sudan would be sensitive in Japan,

What actuaally happened?

"Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga denied that Japan will withdraw the unit because of deteriorating security conditions" in March, which is adding even more to the opacity of the situation.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/03/10/national/japan-end-sdfs-south-sudan-mission-may/#.WW_roIR96Uk

At this time we are left with hypothesis, maybe SDF used weapons overseas and opened fire, whatever happened, it must be so sensible for the LDP and their will to change the constitution that no media is asking for a release of the logs and instead a state covering up is taking place.

At this time we are left with hypothesis, maybe SDF used weapons overseas and opened fire

Or maybe they were in close danger of being attacked and being forced to defend themselves, which they apparently aren't allowed to do. SDF members returning home in body bags because they couldn't shoot back would have been a catastrophe for the LDP's remilitarization dreams and its supporters in Washington. Hence the sudden pullout and the suppression of the logs.

lower level scrapgoat found, slaughtered and all good. LDP ratings will raise again in 3,2,...

south sudan has oil. it is also one of the most volatile regions in the world with the conflicts of tribal and power and religion. to send soldiers there is against the law. all involved should get 3 year suspended sentences and a golden parachute.

Wow she lies through her teeth on everything. How can she be trusted for anything.... claims meetings never happened and clearly they did.

Educator60Today  08:07 am JST

Defense chief Inada gave nod to withholding info on peacekeeping logs

July 19 06:30 am JST 

Top defense bureaucrat likely sought troop data coverup: sources

Today 06:53 am JST 

Looks like a bit of backpedaling in the headlines on two articles here.

But not in the article:

Inada told reporters she neither authorized the concealment of the logs nor approved a plan to withhold the fact that they existed. She also denied later Wednesday there was a meeting on Feb. 15 to discuss the GSDF logs.

The sources said, however, Inada had been briefed about the discovery of the logs by a GSDF official on Feb. 13.

It's best to not just read the headlines.

maybe SDF used weapons overseas and opened fire

And maybe there was an outbreak of cholera that Japanese troops were exposed to. Nobody knows at this stage.

I'm guessing in the reports there was a gunfight, someone maybe even died. The government trying to cover up a secret war is really disgusting and insulting.

Wow she lies through her teeth on everything. How can she be trusted for anything..

Because she went to Todai. Don't you know they are the cream of the crop? (snicker)

Lovely country.

Even bureaucrats are above the law, lets include top level bureaucrats to the

list of "you can't me" witch includes politicians, celebrities, company execs.

Pity for the average taro and hanako who have to foot the excesses of these

fat cows.

No one will know what happened for a while because if there's one thing Japan is good at, it's destroying evidence pertaining to government abuse, massacre, scandals, etc., and then since in power just flat out denying it and saying, "there's no evidence".

Fire the both of them with extreme prejudice.

I don't understand what this is all about... are they concerned that the JGSDF did something terrible in South Sudan? Surely if anything had happened journalists would have reported it? Social media would be buzzing... especially from Japan-hating countries like South Korea and China... so what happened that this is so sensitive?

there is an effort to prevent japanese journalists reporting in war zones. especially syria.

so what happened that this is so sensitive?

Nothing, most likely, The only reason a coverup was necessary is because this is Japan.

so what happened that this is so sensitive?

As the article mentions, The activity logs contained controversial information pertaining to the security situation in South Sudan, i.e. they were government documents suggesting a conflict situation which would mean the JSDF were operating in a war zone. Many in Japan see JSDF operations in war zones as a violation of the peace constitution, and thus a big No No. The passing in the Diet of the very unpopular joint defence bill theoretically opens the way for the JSDF to become involved in actual battle overseas, and the initial 'discarding' of the activity logs was presumably seen as a way of keeping the SDF in South Sudan without having to admit it was a war zone where the SDF might become involved in actual fighting.

I don't think there is any suggestion at all that the actual SDF personnel in uniform on the ground in South Sudan did anything terrible.

As always with these things, it's the (bungled) attempt at cover-up that is ultimately more damaging than the thing they're trying to cover up in the first place.

Cleo is on the right track here. It comes down to the key words Senso 戦闘 and Sento 戦争 in the constitution. Peace-keeping abroad becomes illegal in a war-like environment; there was public outcry anyway at the time over sending the troops over there, and always an undercurrent from the families to bring them home. She denied in parliament that the local Sudan situation literally  involved fighting or war, although TV news images said otherwise. The records contained personal evaluations in which soldiers used these taboo and inflammatory words. The question now hinges on whether an individual's opinion in a diary did or did not deserve to be part of the officially-published GSDF report at the time. These words could be used to prove she lied to the nation, and/or that she covered them up, or conversely they could still be shown to have been an unauthorized personal opinion. Something has got to crack.

Sensing an opportunity, the whole media frenzy is driven by a political attack on her, and on Abe behind her. He will keep her there as long as it is politically expedient, but her departure will be used as a way of erasing the problem.

Apologies, Senso 戦争 (war) and Sento 戦闘 (battle, conflict) wrong way round above. No edit button here!