Foreign Ministry official states weapons of mass destruction cannot be used to justify military attack

Japan's Foreign Ministry Treaties Bureau director general on November 7 stated that weapons of mass destruction cannot serve to justify the use of force, in answer to Matsumoto Zenmei, Japanese Communist Party member of the Lower House.

Referring to the U.S. plan to attack Iraq, Matsumoto pointed out that international law does not allow U.N. member states to attack another nation preemptively if they subjectively judge the nation launched an attack.

Treaties Bureau Director General Hayashi Keiichi said that the U.N. Charter allows member states to use force only to defend themselves or with the U.N. Security Council authorization. Hayashi stated, "No country is allowed to exercise the right of self-defense against another country simply because it has weapons of mass destruction." (end)