"'There’s a certain amount of domestic dismay and criticism of Abe for what is perceived in many quarters in Japan as shameless pandering to Donald Trump,' said Daniel Russel, who served as assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific in the Obama administration. 'I’ve certainly heard that from [legislative] Diet members in Abe’s own party. But my suspicion is that Abe feels justified based on the principle of, ‘whatever it takes’ — that Japan does not have the [...]

"Determining the motivations behind extremist acts can be challenging, experts say, and extremists are generally vague about their reasoning. 'Terrorist organizations are often opportunistic in the way that they claim justification or rationalization for their attacks,' Nicholas Rasmussen, a former senior director for counterterrorism on the National Security Council, told my colleagues this week..." Read the full article here: Full Article