Japan assisted the U.S. and NATO-led, UN-mandated war in Afghanistan (2001-continuing), and contributed to the more exclusively U.S.-led, and controversial “coalition of the willing” that supported America's intervention in Iraq (2003-11). Japan defined its goals as humanitarianism, reconstruction, and reconciliation. Its actions included:

• • Deploying Marine Self-Defense Forces (J-MSDF) for refueling for coalition members in the Indian Ocean (2002-2010);

• • Deploying 600 Ground Self-Defense Forces (J-GSDF) to the southern Iraqi city of Samawah in Iraq (2004-2006). The non-combat troops were involved in reconstruction efforts and protected by UK and Australian troops;

• • Deploying about 200 Air-Self Defense Forces (J-ASDF) troops to the Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait to airlift humanitarian aid and reconstruction equipment to Iraq (Jan. 2004-Dec. 2008);

• • Dispatching JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) volunteers and other development and technical specialists to conduct massive reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan (under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or MOFA);

• • Facilitating six multinational dialogues in Japan between the Taliban, the Government of Afghanistan, and other nations.

• • Facilitating reconciliation seminars among Iraqi Sunni and Shi’ite members of parliament, held in Japan;

• • Pledging monetary reconstruction aid to both conflicts. Japan is the largest national donor after the USA for reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan; from 20042005, during its deployment to Iraq, Japan was the largest humanitarian donor to Iraq.

On September 11, 2001, a sunny Tuesday morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four American passenger planes in coordinated suicide attack missions directed at landmark sites in America. The first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City at 8:46 a.m. Seventeen minutes later, while all the world's media were covering the story without knowing exactly what happened, a second hijacked plane, United Airlines Flight 175, crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. At 9:37 a.m., a third plane crashed into the Pentagon. Passengers aboard a fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, fought back against hijackers who intended for it to hit a Washington, D.C. target, perhaps the U.S. Capitol; it instead crashed into farmland in Pennsylvania shortly after 10 a.m. In less than two hours, nearly 3000 people of several nationalities perished in the four coordinated attacks.