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Japan and the Middle East

Of course we have to show caution and forethought and we have to think through all the consequences of our action. As I have said, however, I think the consequences of inaction are going to be worse than taking the sort of steps that I have spoken about. Of course we must learn the lessons from other conflicts, but there is a real difference here: the Arab League, the Gulf Co-operation Council and the Libyan opposition are all saying, ““Please will you help us in this one particular way?””. Turning the Iraq example on its head, if we turned round and said, ““No, there is no question of this at all””, opinion in the Arab world might well be, ““You look after yourselves when it is about your perceived security, but when it is our future and our democracy, where are you when we need you?””