'Anti-terrorism' law extended

The bill to extend for two years the Anti-terrorism Special Measures Law was enacted on October 10 after the ruling coalition parties used their majority to have it passed through the House of Councilors.

The opposition Japanese Communist, Democratic, and Social Democratic parties voted against.

In the discussion preceding the vote, JCP member Koizumi Chikashi stated that it is clearly in violation of the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution to dispatch the Self-Defense forces in support of the U.S. retaliatory war.

JCP Koizumi urged that what the government should do is to immediately withdraw the SDF from the Indian Ocean and stop assisting the U.S. Bush administration in waging its "anti-terrorism" war. (end)