World's people won't allow reckless act of hegemonism -- Akahata editorial, September 22The U.S. Bush Administration published the National Security Strategy of the United States report, in which it stated a possibility of the U.S. making a preemptive attack on other countries unilaterally. The report said, "we will not hesitate to act alone, if necessary, to exercise our right of self-defense by acting preemptively against such terrorists."
Using the allegations about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction as a pretext, the report emphasized the need to attack Iraq, saying, "We must deter and defend against the threat before it is unleashed."
Unilateral preemptive attack declared
President Bush and other senior U.S. administration officials have consistently stated that the United States will make a preemptive strike.
The report is serious in that it is the first official document issued by President Bush that makes clear such an intention.
The report is nothing but a hegemonic declaration of reckless acts that would inevitably destroy the international order which humankind established in the 20th century in order to maintain peace.
The U.N. Charter prohibits any nation from using force except for self-defense against attacks. This provision is based on the lesson of history in which the use of force between nations developed into two world wars in the past, causing enormous suffering to humankind. No nation has the right to make a preemptive attack on another country.
The report said that the 20th century was an era of "great struggles between liberty and totalitarianism" which "ended with a decisive victory for the forces of freedom", and that the new enemy emerging is terrorism. It thus implies that the preemptive attack is for freedom.
But the 20th century, in which great progress was made in achieving democracy and national independence, shows clearly that neither the selfish freedom of conducting an open-ended war that undermines the peace, nor the freedom of hegemonic interference in another nation's domestic affairs in violation of national sovereignty, can be tolerated in the present-day world.
How anachronistic it is to maintain a distorted analysis of the 20th century in order to justify its preemptive attack.
Serious is that the Bush administration's preemptive attack plan is not just a general plan; it is specifically aimed at Iraq.
The president published the report one day after he sent a letter requesting de facto congressional approval of his policy to declare launching strikes on Iraq. This reveals how dangerous the war plan is.
Apparently, the U.S. leader is playing with fire by heavily relying on an unrivaled U.S. military force.
Once the U.S. starts attacking Iraq, the war will inevitably expand to the whole of the Middle East, including Israel, and bring great chaos to the world.
The U.S. Bush administration's policy of striking Iraq and making a preemptive strike drew severe criticism from many countries at the United Nations General Assembly.
The 21st century is a century that does not allow any big powers to arbitrarily make preemptive strikes in disregard of the United Nations.
The U.S. National Security Strategy report states that the U.S. will "look to Japan to continue forging a leading role in regional and global affairs based on our common interests, our common values, and our close defense and diplomatic cooperation," while appreciating Japan's "military logistical support" in the fight against terrorism.
Japanese people's struggle and world peace
Japan's Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro, who asserted that the U.S. preemptive strike policy is "understandable as one of U.S. options," has not even hinted at opposing the U.S. plan to attack Iraq. Such an attitude brings to light how he is opposing the world current toward peace and how he is propping up the U.S. war policy.
In contrast, many Japanese people are fighting against the government plan to enact contingency bills, and challenging the Koizumi Cabinet's war cooperation policy subservient to the U.S. It is noteworthy that the popular struggle in Japan is contributing to world efforts to curb unilateral U.S. hegemonism from taking shape. (end)