Government shows allegiance to U.S. in contempt of Constitution -- Akahata
editorial, September 24, 2001

By firmly defending the call for U.S. military retaliation against the
recent terrorist attacks in the United States as justifiable, Prime Minister
Koizumi Jun'ichiro has decided on a policy of sending the Japanese
Self-Defense Forces abroad.

The government statement on the decision stated that Japan is fully
behind the U.S. as an ally. It does not hesitate to state that the decision
was made in response to the U.S. Bush administration's call on Japan to take
a more visible international role.

Plan has been locked

Prime Minister Koizumi's insistence on sending the SDF abroad arises from
the desire to avoid the same "mistake" which Japan made in the Gulf War.
This is what Nakatani Gen, director general of the Defense Agency,
emphasized as he recalled those days when the Japanese government was
severely criticized by the U.S. for its inadequate military contributions.

At the time of the Gulf War (which broke out in 1990), a bill to give the
SDF an international role was rejected by parliament. In 1999, the War Laws
were enacted to allow the SDF to take part in activities to deal with
situations in areas surrounding Japan. But even under these laws, the SDF
have been prevented from directly supporting the U.S. Forces in military
operations outside of Japan thanks to the struggle of peace-loving citizens
who oppose sending SDF troops abroad.

Prime Minister Koizumi began to call for Japan to be allowed to exercise
the right to collective self-defense, saying, "Who but us can guard U.S.
warships?" Koizumi was apparently meant to respond to the U.S. demand, but
was thwarted by public criticism.

Now, the Koizumi Cabinet is trying to use the aftermath of the terrorist
attacks as a golden opportunity to send SDF troops abroad to show its
allegiance to the U.S., which calls on Japan to make a contribution
involving possible human sacrifice.

The government is now trying to use the need for fighting terrorism as
the pretext for achieving its long-time ambition. This amounts to an
extreme contempt for those who fell victim to the terrorist attacks and is
contrary to the keen wishes of the people in Japan and abroad who are
calling for the elimination of terrorism.

The present situation is unrelated to what the government describes as
"Japan's peace and security" or "situations in areas surrounding Japan." How
can the government justify the sending of SDF troops abroad with the views
it has so far presented?

Asked to comment on the relationship between his new plan and the
Constitution at a new conference, Prime Minister Koizumi only said, "The
United States regards it as a war in a new form." Thus, he made a decision
to send SDF units abroad exactly as the United States told him to do. What's
more, how shameful it is for the prime minister to leave even the
explanation of the legality of sending the SDF abroad to the United States.

We know that the U.S. Bush administration has called military retaliation
"a new war," but Japan's constitutional ban on the use of threat to use
force remains unchanged.

In the 1946 constituent assembly, State Minister Shidehara Kijuro set out
a government view that even when the United Nations applies sanctions, Japan
cannot or must refrain from participating in them. In 1952, when Japan
applied for U.N. membership, the government issued a statement saying that
Japan won't be bound by any obligation to cooperate militarily with the U.N.

There is no room for dispute about the constitutional ban on Japan's
support for any retaliatory war by the U.S., which has nothing to do with
U.N. sanctions.

Out of the desire to receive high marks from the Bush administration, the
Koizumi Cabinet did not hesitate to trample on the constitutional principles
of peace that have been maintained by the Japanese people.

Moves against the wish for peace

In Japan, the U.S., and Europe, people are calling for the elimination of
terrorism and opposition to military sanctions.

As the JCP proposed in its September 17 letter to leaders of national
governments of the world, pursuing justice is the most effective way to
eliminate terrorism. The letter says that a call is gaining momentum in the
world that military retaliation only helps create a cycle of further
terrorist attacks and military retaliation.

So the government attempt to rush to deploy the SDF overseas under a U.S.
direction will not only mislead Japan's political course, but also run
counter to the hope for rooting out terrorism.

Let's join forces with people throughout the world who desire to see
terrorism eliminated and peace preserved to foil the government plan to send
the SDF abroad. (end)