Switch to U.N.-led efforts to help restore sovereignty to Iraqi people: JCP Ichida

Following the killing of two Japanese diplomats in Iraq, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi used his regular briefing on December 1st to repeat the call on the government to immediately cancel its plan to send the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq.

Stressing that the need now is to "restore sovereignty to the Iraq people and switch to a U.N. framework of assistance in Iraq's reconstruction," he called for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq of the U.S. and British occupation forces.

Pointing out that nearly 500 U.S. and British troops and about 40 soldiers from other countries have been killed along with U.N. and International Red Cross staff members, Ichida said, "If this state of affairs continues, assistance by the international community in Iraq's reconstruction will be impossible."

Ichida said, "Nothing can justify acts of terrorism. Dispatching the SDF to Iraq only serves the lawless occupation of Iraq and helps worsen the Iraqi situation, contrary to the stated aim of eliminating terrorism and establishing peace in Iraq."

He pointed out that the Japanese government's explanation that the SDF will not go to combat zones is no longer tenable, and said, "In Iraq, the SDF will be regarded by Iraqi people as part of the occupation forces, and the SDF may be a target of attack."

Ichida said that the JCP will strengthen parliamentary and extra-parliamentary struggles to stop the sending of the SDF, a historic outrage.

He demanded that the government convene an extraordinary session of the Diet to discuss the issue. "Even if an extraordinary session of the Diet cannot be convened, as called for by the opposition parties, the issue before us must be dealt with by parliamentary committees. (end)