SDF units may carry U.S. material and personnel: Koizumi

Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro has admitted that the Self-Defense Forces' participation in "security missions" in Iraq will mean assisting the U.S. and British occupation forces in Iraq.

He said this in answer to questions by Japanese Communist Party Kokuta Keiji at the House of Representatives special committee meeting held on December 15 to discuss the government's "Basic plan" for the SDF dispatch to Iraq.

Asked if the Air SDF aircraft are allowed to transport U.S. forces' goods and personnel, Koizumi said that would be the case if conditions permit while repeating the position that the SDF will not be involved in combat.

Koizumi refused to admit that the unjust U.S.-British occupation of Iraq is a major source of terrorism.

Pointing out that Richard Myers, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that the SDF has joined the Iraq war coalition, Kokuta said, "The government argues that the SDF will go to Iraq on a humanitarian mission assisting in Iraq's reconstruction, but you must know that no SDF actions will be independent of the occupation forces."

Saying, "An SDF dispatch is incompatible with humanitarian and reconstruction assistance," Kokuta demanded that the SDF dispatch for war be canceled.

In the same committee meeting, Akamine Seiken of the JCP pointed out that "non-combat zones" by government definition are very ambiguous. This means that the government definition of "combat" is flexibly applied, he added. (end)