Have A Seat Koizumisan

The US endorses Japan for a Security Council seat. Germany can forget it as far as Rice is concerned. They are still wondering about India and Brazil.

"... we've made no further judgments about who else should or should not be added to the council, nor are we taking a position pro or con on any one of these specific proposals at this point.

Why did Japan get the green light first and so early?

"The goal (of the expansion of the coucil) has to be to make the Security Council a more effective instrument for these times ..."

Of course it is just a coincidence that Japan was the only member to support the US in Iraq with boots on the ground. And that Germany actively opposed the US going into Iraq. Carrots and sticks.