Above is an example of flyers designed to help people recognize how and where bin Laden might be hiding. |
Suspected terrorist and al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was not in any of the Pachinko parlors in Yugawa-mura. Nor was he registered at either of the city’s love hotels. Citizens reported finding no unusual activity in their gardens, rice fields, or under the city’s bridge. However, the search has turned up 18 stray cats, 30,000 lost umbrellas, an ojiichan missing since the early 90s, and six more members of Morning Musume.
"We just want to do our part," Yugawa’s mayor Daisuke Ishikawa said. "I want the world to know that Yugawa-mura does not support, condone, or harbor terrorists." The Mayor also hinted at wanting to avoid the wrath of the US invasion forces as they search for their next target in the war on terrorism. "They can’t come here," he said. "Where would they park?"
Even after their initial sweep, the townspeople remain vigilant. The police have asked citizens to return any guns, explosives, commercial jet manuals, or opium acquired from al-Qaida in the last six months. Elementary and junior high school students have been issued pictures of bin Laden, and have been asked to watch out for people in turbans who do not speak Japanese. So far, the only report has been a false alarm at the town’s public bathhouse, where there was some confusion caused by people with towels on their heads. Also, the city council drew up plans for a curfew on the town’s Muslim quarter. The curfew would be imposed in the event that any Muslims ever move to Yugawa and form a quarter.
The council also discussed placing a radar station on top of the gymnasium—Yugawa’s tallest building—to guard against airplane attacks like those on the world trade center, but the project turned out to be beyond the town’s newly appropriated antiterror budget of ¥5,000. As a precaution, people using the gym are being asked to periodically look out the window for incoming aircraft.
Mayor Ishikawa expressed satisfaction with the town's efforts to combat terrorism. "If this goes well, it could really boost our chances in our bid to host the 2012 Olympics," he said.
