 Koizumi should apologize for supporting Iraq war: JCP Shii Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo said that Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro must apologize for his support for the Iraq war which was started on baseless allegations. At the September 15 press conference in the Diet building, referring to a statement by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell that it is unlikely that weapons of mass destruction are to be found in Iraq, Shii said, "This is a conclusion drawn by the country responsible for the war. Prime Minister Koizumi must be held responsible for groundlessly supporting the Iraq war and dispatching the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq." The JCP chair stated that the rationale behind Koizumi's support for the Iraq war has been proven to be baseless and pointed out that the prime minister had repeatedly stated in the Diet that weapons of mass destruction will be found in Iraq sometime in the future. Shii stressed, "The prime minister should admit his mistake of supporting the war of aggression, be ashamed of his ignorance, and apologize to the world." (end) |