Shii criticizes Israel for taking advantage of U.S. logic on 'war on terrorism'

On the recent Israeli military attacks against Palestinian people,
Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo criticized the Israeli government
for taking advantage of the U.S. logic that the end justifies the means in a
war on terrorism.

Speaking at the JCP Dietmembers assembly on December 7, the last day of
the Extraordinary diet Session , Shii said, "The U.S. response to the
September 11 terrorist attacks against the United States has brought into
international politics the dangerous thinking that any action is tolerable
as long as it is labeled 'anti-terrorist.'"

He said that the U.S. retaliatory war has on the one hand entailed the
danger that the war may be expanded beyond Afghanistan to other countries,
including Iraq, and on the other hand indirectly helped Israel launch
extraordinary military attacks by alleging that the Palestine Authority is
supporting terrorism.

Shii demanded that the Israeli government stop taking advantage of the
"logic" that U.S. President George W. Bush used, that those who house
terrorists must share their blame, and immediately end the military attacks
because they undermine all previous peace efforts.

Though the situation is complicated and changeable, any attempt to bring
illegal actions into international politics under the heading of
"anti-terrorism" should be foiled, Shii said. (end)