Terrorist attacks in the U.S. shock the whole world -- Akahata editorial,
September 13, 2001

Coordinated terrorist attacks broke out in the U.S., with hijacked
aircraft crashing into the World Trade Center buildings in New York and the
U.S. Department of Defense building (Pentagon) in Washington.

This is an unprecedented tragedy caused by terrorist attacks killing and
injuring several thousand people.

Terrorist action that indiscriminately attacks and kills people is
nothing but a mean and brutal crime that must never be condoned for whatever
reason or background.

Giving a great shock to the world

About 50,000 people used to work in the twin towers of the World Trade
Center, and each day, an average of 150,000 people, including tourists,
visited there. The exact number of workers and visitors there at the time of
the destruction is yet unknown, and the rescue operation is not easy.

The whereabouts of several Japanese working at Japanese corporations in
those buildings is yet to be confirmed. The collapse of the building killed
or injured many people who were near the site.

Mass media reported that all the 266 passengers and crew on board the
four aircraft which were hijacked and used for the terror were killed.

The Japanese Communist Party wants to express its condolences to the many
people who fell victim to the terror and their family members. With anger,
the JCP condemns those who committed the terrorist attacks.

The terror attacks, which targeted the symbols of the U.S. economy and
military, shook the world. The world's money, capital and commodity markets
have been brought into great chaos.

It is also said that as the incident was caused amidst a U.S. economic
slump, it will temporarily tighten the money supply for U.S. corporations,
and if the U.S. money market is closed for long, it could further aggravate
the economic recession in the U.S.

Japan will not be free from these effects.

The background of the incidents has not been identified yet. According to
media reports, U.S. specialists on terrorism have pointed out that there is
a connection between this terrorism and the 1993 blowing up of the World
Trade Center and the 1996 blowing up of U.S. military facilities in Saudi
Arabia. Whether this view is correct or not won't be clear unless thorough
investigations into the incidents are carried out.

International terrorism occurred 423 times last year in the world,
killing 1,196 people.

It is necessary to place the terrorists under arrest as soon as possible
and find the real facts of the incidents so that such terror attacks won't
be repeated.

We are anxious about the possibility that the U.S. will take military
action in retaliation for this terrorism.

U.S. President George W. Bush said that he will "find those responsible
and bring them to justice" and "make no distinction between the terrorists
who committed the acts and those who harbor them."

U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld indicated the possibility of
using military force, saying that the U.S. is ready to counterattack.

U.S. should deal with the matter calmly

If the U.S. acts as the world policeman and carries out military attacks
on the countries which it regards as friendly with terrorists, it is an act
which the U.N. Charter prohibits, and it won't work as an effective way of
preventing terrorism. This will only encourage more acts of terrorism and
create a vicious circle of military retaliation.

Japan's government should not cooperate with the U.S. in taking such
military action.

Terrorism is a denial of humanity. To root it out, it is desirable that
the U.S. government deals with the matter calmly and makes efforts to solve
the problem based on law and reason. (end)