Shii: Japan's support for Iraq must be in endorsing Iraq's wish to govern themselves

At a news conference on October 17 to urge the government to revoke the decision to send the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo commented on the United Nations Security Council resolution adopted unanimously on October 16.

Shii pointed out that UNSC Resolution 1511 was produced while two conflicting ideas persisted concerning the framework for Iraq's reconstruction: U.N.-based reconstruction assistance or continued U.S.-British-led military occupation.

He said that the new resolution "represents certain progress in relation to the U.N. role and the reversion to the Iraqi people of national sovereignty, but it has not changed the general framework of military occupation by the U.S. and British forces."

Shii referred to the fact that after the vote, France, Russia and Germany issued a joint statement to announce that they will neither send troops nor contribute money. Pointing out that the resolution has problems regarding two issues, one about the United Nations role, in particular in the political process, and the other about the pace of the transfer of power to the Iraqi people, Shii added that the Chinese government declared a similar position and that this is what most governments in the world will do.

Shii criticized the Japanese government for intending to send troops and contribute money to meet the U.S. request to support the U.S.-British military occupation without even proposing any reasonable framework for Iraq's reconstruction. (end)