JCP Shii urges P.M. Koizumi to change position to oppose war against Iraq
Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on March 13 used his meeting with Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro to urge the government to change its position to oppose the war against Iraq and call for a peaceful resolution. The meeting was held at the request of the prime minister, who also met with other opposition party leaders separately.
Shii made the following points:
The most important aspect of the Iraq question now is that U.N. weapons inspections are beginning to accomplish their objective.
On March 7, the U.N. inspectors' report stated that their three-month inspections showed substantive progress and results, and that Iraq's cooperation has become active and voluntary. The report also said that it is necessary for the inspections to continue for several months, citing 29 items as unresolved disarmament measures. The work plan will be reported to the United Nations Security Council by the end of March, the report says.
The need is now for the international community to work together to achieve a peaceful resolution by continuing and strengthening the inspections.
The Japanese ambassador to the United Nations Haraguchi Koichi on the previous day expressed support for the revised draft resolution submitted jointly by the United States, Britain, and Spain setting March 17 as the deadline for Iraq to prove that it has disarmed itself. This is tantamount to supporting a U.S. war, which we can't condone.
The government has said that "the draft resolution will serve as a last-ditch effort by the international community to together pressure Iraq into voluntarily disarming itself." But it is very clear that the draft resolution will never be effective in solving the problem peacefully but will only force inspectors to end their activities in order to pave the way for a war.
Expressing support for a war while calling it a form of pressure for a peaceful solution is deceitful. These two positions are incompatible.
A U.S. war, if conducted, would break the rules of peace under the U.N. Charter, kill and injure many innocent people, and cause immeasurable damage. Therefore, an overwhelmingly majority of nations worldwide are opposing the war and calling for a peaceful solution.
We strongly demand that the Japanese government, as the government of the country with the war-renouncing Article 9 in its constitution, change its position immediately to one opposing a war on Iraq and seeking a peaceful solution through continued and strengthened inspections. (end)
