Egoistic America

　　I'll write about the Iranian Azadegan oil field which is located 80 kilometres west of Ahvaz, near the Iraqi border. Japan had been involved in its development for a long time. Iran has been in a friendly relationship with Japan since the old times. There is hardly any political issue between both countries. The U.S., however, forced Japan to cut ties with Iran in connection with Iran's development of nuclear weapons. Japan had to quit cooperation unwillingly.
　　Now, Japan has an territorial row with Russia about the Kuril Islands and the southern half of Sakhalin (Karafuto in Japanese). Viewed strictly, there's nothing to argue about the sovereignty of Japan over those areas. However, Russia illegally controls the area at present. Kunashiri Island, one of the islands which Japan has insisted on its sovereignty against Russia has been suffering from a shortage of power. The bitterness of the coldness in winter would be indescribable. Recently Russia put together a plan of construction for a geothermal power plant on the island. I could never accept that Russia would damage Japanese land  and create a fait accompli, but to my great surprise, an American company acknowledged an order from Russia. Did the U.S. - Japan's most reliable partner - recognize Kunashiri Island as Russian territory? Do they have so-called morals?


(Vocabulary)
Azadegan oil field  アザデガン油田
accept an order / acknowledge an order  受注する
the Kuril Islands 千島列島
geothermal power plant 地熱発電所
accomplished fact / done deal / fait accompli (French)  既成事実
create a fait accompli 既成事実を作る

アメリカは日本が推し進めてきたイランのアザデガン油田の開発では、イランの核開発を理由に日本企業に参加を取りやめるよう要請し、日本はこれを吞んだ。今回ソ連が実効支配する国後島の地熱発電所の建設で日本が嫌がっているのにアメリカの会社が受注する事になった。アメリカも国後をソ連領と認めたのか。怒れ、日本。