Terrorist bombings come out of lawless war-- Akahata editorial, August 21

Serigio Vieira de Mello, top United Nations envoy in Baghdad, and many other U.N. staff members were killed or injured in the bombing of the U.N. office. It was a terrorist attack indiscriminately killing and injuring people, a loathsome crime.

The latest attack targeting the U.N. office could have negative effects on the Iraqi people's opposition to the U.S.-British military occupation and their efforts to establish pubic security and well-being and rebuild their country.

The seriously worsening situation in Iraq is the backdrop for the recent tragedy.

The problem is that the United States and Britain militarily occupy Iraq but they neglect to fulfill their duty to maintain public peace, while innocent citizens are being killed or injured by them.

Who is responsible for maintaining public peace?

Victims of the bomb attack on the U.N. headquarters in Iraq include staff members for humanitarian aid agencies.

It is not yet clear who carried out the bombing, but no terrorist attack must be condoned by whatever forces and for whatever reason.

The point is that this attack took place following a series of attacks on U.S. soldiers and infrastructure, including oil pipelines, reflecting the increasing public anger at the U.S.-British war and military occupation of Iraq.

The United States neglects to maintain public order and public well-being in contravention of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1483 urging the United States and Britain to recognize the authority, responsibility and obligation under international law. Following the bombing of the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad, the U.S. forces made clear that they were not responsible for the security of the embassies in Baghdad.

To make matters worse, the U.S. forces are indiscriminately killing and injuring citizens in the name of mopping up remnants of the Saddam Hussein regime, giving rise to indignation and resistance among the Iraqi people. U.S. forces fired at tens of thousands of demonstrators demanding the withdrawal of U.S. troops, killing some people.

The Iraqi people have the right to resist the lawless invasion by the U.S.-British forces. Terrorist attacks must not be used to justify the lawless occupation or deliberately obscure the Iraqi people's just cause.

The United States made every effort to get the UNSC to adopt Resolution 1500 that would establish the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), the aim being to disguise the military occupation as a U.N.-authorized act and internationalize the efforts to stop the war and subsequent occupation from getting bogged down in a quagmire.

Syria, which abstained from voting on Resolution 1500, demanded that the Iraqi people's government be established by ending the military occupation according to a timetable. This was a just call of the Arab countries.

Any U.N. activity for national reconstruction and humanitarian aid can attract support from the Iraqi people only when it is based on the establishment of such a government.

If the United States continues to occupy Iraq and kill Iraqi people, it will only increase the anger of the people of Iraq and other Arab countries as well as the rest of the world.

Terrorists will take advantage of that public anger. There is danger that an endless cycle of U.S. gunfire and terrorist bombings will appear.

Safety will come after troops withdraw

The situation in Iraq is testimony to what the war started by the United States and Britain without a U.N. resolution and in violation of principles of peace would bring about.

It has been revealed that the allegation about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, which was used as a pretext to go to war, was false and greatly exaggerated. This is why the U.S. and British governments are asked to accept their responsibility.

For Iraq to move away from the state of war, ensure security, and get on the right track for national reconstruction, it is necessary to make the U.S-British forces withdraw and establish a government of the Iraqi people. The need is for the United Nations to make efforts to achieve this. (end)