Sending in Self-Defense Force units to get bogged down in war abroad -- Akahata editorial, June 28

Diet discussions have revealed how dangerous the bill to send the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq is. The government has had to admit that the war in Iraq has not ended and that what the bill calls activities to assist in maintaining public security includes assistance to the U.S. and British forces in large-scale mopping-up operations and other tasks.

The government also confirmed that the SDF is assigned to refuel the U.S. and British forces in action, give medical treatment to wounded U.S. soldiers, and set up field hospitals.

This amounts to Japan sending its military forces abroad to assist the U.S. forces in combat in foreign territory. This is exactly the use of force which the government has argued will not be used as prohibited under the Constitution.

Participating in military occupation in violation of the Constitution

Under the proposed Iraq law, the SDF will take part in military operations with the U.S. and British forces which has waged their lawless war on Iraq.

The government explains that the SDF will not be commanded by the occupation authority. Such an explanation is a fallacy in the light of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483, which the government cites as the ground for sending the SDF, that stipulates that the forces shall operate under the occupation authority.

The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) is directly commanded by the U.S. secretary of defense. Its character as the central body for military occupation remains unchanged even after its chief was switched from a military serviceman to a civilian.

The government explains that the SDF in Iraq will assist in humanitarian aid and reconstruction work. It is a poor excuse to cover up the SDF's participation in military operations.

Even if the SDF may carry out such activities, it will essentially be part of military occupations which UNSC Resolution 1483 tasks the U.S. and British forces with maintaining effective control over the country.

The point of major concern is that the SDF is asked to assist the U.S. and British forces in their "Desert Scorpion" mopping-up and other operations as part of SDF activities to assist in securing safety.

UNSC Resolution 1483 demands that the coalition forces work under the CPA and that the relevant parties observe The Hague Convention on Ground Battle and other international rules of war.

Although the government insists that the SDF will not be bound by the Hague Convention if the Japanese SDF units go to Iraq, they will be regarded as taking sides in the Iraqi affair. Obviously, they will have to act in conformity with international regulations.

Iraq's Saddam Hussein regime has collapsed, but combat still continues. U.S. and British forces are fighting in various localities in Iraq against remnants of the former regime and armed fighters hostile to the occupation forces. This is precisely what a CPA official told the Japanese Communist Party Iraq survey team - coalition forces are operating in every corner of Iraq.

It has also become clear that the SDF, if they are deployed to Iraq and act under the "occupation authority", will be assigned to act to meet the needs of U.S. and British forces.

This shows that Japan's military forces will assist the two major aggressors in their military occupation of Iraq, which is a continuation of the Iraq War.

The Iraq War began with the U.S. Bush administration's preemptive strike. Dispatching the SDF to Iraq will violate the United Nations Charter and other international laws guaranteeing a world peace order.
New UN resolution does not justify Iraq War

U.N. Security Council Resolution 1483 endows the U.S./British occupation forces with certain authority, responsibility and obligations in Iraq, but it stops short of justifying their lawless Iraq War.

In order to dispatch the SDF to Iraq, Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro in the Diet referred to some other countries dispatching their troops to Iraq. However, the overwhelming majority of the U.N. member states, including U.N. Security Council permanent members of France, Russia and China, have opposed attacking Iraq and are not sending troops to Iraq.

Japan constitutionally renounced war based on its reflection of its war of aggression and pledged to make efforts for peaceful resolution of international disputes. The need is now for Japan to take every step to assure this goal.

That's why we call for the SDF Iraq-dispatch bill to be foiled by all means. (end)