Dear Doug,

 

How have you been? I have been in Baghdad for 6 months now.

I understand that the US politics is now dominated by Iraq.

President Bush will deliver a speech tonight in which a new policy on Iraq will be announced.

I watched with interest testimonies at the Congress by Ambassador Croker and

General Petraeus the other day.

 

Actually, the level of violence in Baghdad has dramatically lowered since August.

This autumn will be a political season for the Government and the National

Assembly of this country.

 

The life here is not easy but I am rather enjoying it. Japan is the second donor

after the US of the economic assistance to Iraq . I am working to promote the

reconstruciton of Iraq bilaterally and through the international efforts.

 

I see Ambassador Croker and General Petraeus from time to time to discuss the

situation in Iraq.

I discovered that the General is from Cornwall on Hudson and graduated from the

Cornwall Central High School, Class of 70 !! I told him my own experience in Caz.

 

Please convey my best wishes to my friends and colleagues from Caz.

 

Sincerely yours,

 

Ken Monji

Ambassador of Japan to Iraq

 

monjiken70caz@yahoo.co.jp

                                                              

Dear Sir/Madame,

 

I would like to inform you that I am now stationed in Baghdad as Japanese Ambassador to Iraq. I moved back from the Ministry of Defense (former Japan Defense Agency) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in March. I thoroughly enjoyed my two years and seven months’ service at MOD. I was lucky to be able to witness some positive development in the security and defense area, including upgrading of the Agency to a full-fledged ministry, more active participation of Japan and its Self-Defense Forces in international security issues, much wider and deeper network of security dialogues and defense exchanges with other countries, etc.

 

I would like to express my sincere appreciation for all the support and cooperation you have kindly extended to me during my tenure in the MOD. I hope I could maintain good contacts with you..

 

I had been in charge of national and international security for past 25 years. During all those years, I had always stayed at the headquarters of the security affairs. Now I am on the ground and at the frontline. I am very honored and pleased to be posted as Japanese Ambassador to Iraq at this most crucial time for the future of Iraq.

 

I arrived at Baghdad in mid-March. I normally stay in the International Zone where many Iraqi government offices and some major embassies are located. Life here is not easy. We receive mortar and rocket attacks by insurgents almost everyday. However, I enjoy my job very much, as Japan has a lot to do to support Iraq in its reconstruction and nation-building in many areas.

 

I am sure there will be opportunities to work again with you in the future.

Please accept my best wishes for your continued success and good health.  

 

                                                   Yours sincerely,

                                                    Kenjiro Monji

                                             Ambassador of Japan to Iraq

                                         

                                           E-mail:monjiken70caz@yahoo.co.jp

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