Bush goes against world voices -- Akahata editorial, October 9U.S. President George W. Bush emphatically hinted at use of force to overthrow the Iraqi government while showing a U.S. readiness to fight with all its force, by saying, "The longer we wait, the stronger and bolder Saddam Hussein will become."
In this, the president reiterated that there is no alternative for the U.S. but to attack Iraq.
His statements of launching attacks on Iraq were made just after the U.S. started the retaliatory war against Afghanistan. This reveals the dangerous nature of the preemptive strike strategy being pursued by the Bush Administration.
Growing criticism in the U.S. and Britain
The new U.S. strategies of preemptive strikes, unilateral use of nuclear weapons, and overthrowing hostile governments have been incorporated in the latest reports issued by the Department of Defense and the National Security Council. The plan to attack Iraq is the first embodiment of the reports.
The president stressed that the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein, armed with weapons of mass destruction, must be disarmed and needs to be changed.
Such remarks on the need to use force were made under a cunning calculation that the U.N. Security Council will reject a U.S. draft resolution which demands that Iraq accept indefinite deployment of U.S. forces in that country, a unilateral call that can not be accepted by Iraq.
The Iraqi government and the United Nations organization have agreed to resume unconditional inspection of weapons of mass destruction at all facilities in Iraq, except for presidential facilities. The U.S. government is interfering even with this agreement.
The international community has agreed that any preemptive attack on the grounds of the enemy possibly possessing weapons of mass destruction can not be allowed.
In 1981, advocating that it is a preemptive self-defense action, Israel bombed nuclear facilities in Iraq to stop operation. The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution denouncing this as a clear violation of the United Nations Charter. The U.S. also supported this resolution.
Now, voices calling for opposition to an attack on Iraq are increasing throughout the world, including not only the Middle East countries but also France, Germany, Russia, China, and Greece.
Even in the United States and Britain, where the governments are pushing ahead with military attack plans, strong criticism is growing among the public.
People in the world know that a military attack on Iraq will put the Middle East and the whole world in confusion and that it is definitely against international law.
The international community does not allow any country to act unilaterally overthrow any administration with military force, however hostile it may be toward that country. The U.S. president has declared that the United States will carry out a preemptive strike against Iraq even though in violation of international law and the U.N. Charter.
No U.N. Security Council resolution will allow President Bush to justify U.S. attacks on Iraq.
The U.N. Charter prohibits member countries from using military force, except for self-defense, to invade other countries. This is a lesson the world's people have learned from the two world wars where big powers under military alliances used force and caused terrible destruction.
If the Bush administration is allowed to take such an outrageous action, it will being the world back to the old days when uncontrolled violence prevailed.
Raise voice for peaceful solution
The Japanese Communist Party has warned that the reckless hegemonic action by the United States will pose a grave threat to the peace of the world based on the U.N. Charter.
The JCP is actively developing dialogues with government officials of other countries so that the opposition to the U.S. attack on Iraq and calls for a peaceful solution get majority support in the international community.
Let's increase public opinion and movements throughout Japan calling on the U.S. to give up its plan to attack Iraq. (end)