LDP and Komei in Upper House use their majority to get SDF dispatch to Iraq approved

In the House of Councilors plenary session on February 9, the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties used their majority to 'approve' the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq. The Japanese Communist Party and other opposition parties voted against.

The vote was taken one day after the major contingent of the Ground SDF reached Samawah in Iraq.

At a press conference on the same day, Ichida Tadayoshi, JCP Secretariat head, said, "This is the first major blow to Japan's Constitution which is widely known throughout the world as a peace constitution. The JCP demands an immediate withdrawal of the SDF units deployed in Iraq and cancellation of all government plans to dispatch the SDF to Iraq." (end)