 Shii criticizes government plan to continue to deploy SDF in Iraq Shii Kazuo, Japanese Communist Party Executive Committee chair, criticized the Japanese government's decision to extend the period of the Self-Defense Forces deployment in Iraq. At a news conference on September 22, Shii said, "There is no evidence that the government has examined the need to extend the SDF deployment in Iraq." Referring to the recent statement by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell admitting that it is unlikely for weapons of mass destruction to be found in Iraq and U. N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's statement pointing out that the Iraq War was illegitimate, the JCP chair said, "The stated justification for the Iraq war is increasingly being called into question." Pointing out that the Iraqi situation is further exacerbating following the supposed transfer of sovereignty to Iraq, Shii said, "It is necessary to scrutinize the legitimacy of continuing to deploy the SDF in the light of the Special Measures Law on Iraq and Article 9 of the Constitution." "There is no evidence that the government has ever examined these questions. The only thing it has discussed is its position of keeping SDF troops in Iraq as long as U.S. forces are here. It's totally wrong to decide on the extension of the SDF deployment in such a way," he added. (end) |