Komei secretary general says opposing war 'benefits enemy'
A leader of the Komei Party, one of the ruling parties, says that international opposition to a U.S. attack on Iraq is an act "advantageous to the enemy and will delay a solution to the Iraq problem."
Fuyushiba Tetsuzo, secretary general of the Komei Party, made this remark on NHK's "Sunday Discussion" broadcast on February 16.
He said that U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker correctly said that U.S. threats make weapons inspections successful.
Criticizing Fuyushiba on the same debate program, JCP Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi said that Fuyushiba should withdraw that remark. He said, "What Mr. Fuyushiba is saying is that war is necessary to avoid giving the enemy an advantage. For Mr. Fuyushiba, calling for a peaceful resolution through further weapons inspections also amounts to an act advantageous to the enemy."
Fuyushiba not only refused to retract his remarks, but made further similar remarks on TV Asahi's "Sunday Project" program later in the day. "Continued inspections will only please Iraq's president," he said.
Asked by the TV Asahi program's moderator, if France, Germany, Russia, and China are wrong in calling for U.N. inspections to be continued, Fuyushiba answered, "Yes, they are."
When the moderator asked him if Japan should support the United States' plan to remove the Hussein government, Fuyushiba said, "I bet that the world will be in favor of it." (end)
