Breaking News, World News and Taiwan News.  Behind Japan's
Senkaku strategy  When Shintaro Ishihara, governor of Tokyo,
said he wanted to buy three of the Senkaku Islands a couple of
months ago, the Japanese government frowned on the ultra-
nationalist maverick, who is one of the few remaining
incorrigible Cold Warriors. Ishihara doesn't like the People's
Republic of China and fears if his Tokyo metropolitan government
doesn't buy the Uotsuri-shima and its nearby Kita Kojima and
Minami Kojima, Japan can't defend them against a possible
Chinese takeover.  While Ishihara is raising a needed fund for
the purchase by asking for contributions from across Japan,
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced last week the intention
of the Japanese government — which now leases the land of the
three uninhabited islets from its private owners — to preempt
the governor of the capital city. This comes as Noda's ruling
Democratic Party of Japan is near mortally weakened by the
rebellion led by Ichiro Ozawa, its first leader who