What does Japan need to learn from killing of Japanese diplomats in Iraq -- Akahata editorial, December 1On November 29 in the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit, two Japanese diplomats, who were in the middle of activities assisting in the reconstruction of Iraq, were killed. They became the first Japanese to fall victim to the Iraq war.
Although details of the incident are still unknown, no one must be condoned for such an act of brutality for any reason. We express our deep condolences to the families of the two diplomats.
Way for peaceful reconstruction
The question is what Japan needs to learn from this painful incident.
On the news that two Japanese diplomats were killed, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi Yoriko at a press conference stated: "We will carry out the will of the two and take active part in assistance in the reconstruction of Iraq without giving in to terrorism."
Needless to say, acts of terrorism that target civilians, including diplomats, are crimes.
However, it is not time to repeat the phrase "we will not give in to terrorism"; the task now is for the government to recognize how dangerous it is for the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq to continue and to seriously explore ways to help Iraq to peacefully rebuild itself.
The United States without international consensus led a "coalition of the willing" that includes Britain to attack Iraq and overthrow the Saddam Hussein government, and now continues the occupation of Iraq. A recent survey in Iraq shows that two out of every three Iraqi people are at odds with the presence of U.S. and British forces, which they regard as an "occupation force" instead of as a "liberation force".
The United States recently reached agreement with the Iraqi Governing Council backed by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) that sovereignty will be transferred to Iraq by June 2004. But three in four Iraqi people in the above stated survey said that most of the policies of the Iraqi Governing Council are decided by the CPA.
The spillover of terrorist attacks to outside of Iraq is increasing and causing a rise in casualties. The public security situation is worsening in Iraq and in the neighboring countries. This is due to deepening contradictions caused by the unlawful occupation of Iraq with the Iraqi people. The lawless occupation has aroused Iraqi people's anger, and a growth of various terrorist groups is adding to the devastation.
Reconstruction of Iraq based on the Iraqi people's wishes calls for the present U.S.-British occupation to be replaced with a U.N.-led framework. Concerning the "war on terrorism", it is necessary to end the occupation of Iraq in order to isolate terrorists and eliminate the climate that fosters more terrorists.
What Japan must do is to make proactive diplomatic efforts to establish a U.N.-led mission under which Japan can provide non-military humanitarian support.
SDF dispatch doesn't learn from the deaths
The Koizumi Cabinet is pushing ahead with preparations for sending Japan's Self-Defense Forces to Iraq. We must not forget that this will only help bolster the U.S. and British-led occupation of Iraq.
Japan will be targeted by terrorists if it assists in the U.S.-British military control on the scene. The Iraqi people used to have friendly sentiments toward the Japanese people, but the present increase in hatred of Japan may spread throughout the Middle East.
Stop the dispatch of the SDF to Iraq and work for the reconstruction of Iraq to meet the Iraqis' people's wishes -- these are what the Koizumi Cabinet must do if it can learn from the painful sacrifices of two Japanese diplomats. (end)