 JCP condemns brutal slaying of hostage, and demands SDF be withdrawn 24-year-old Koda Shosei was abducted and beheaded by a group led by al-Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Japanese Communist Party Executive Committee Chair Shii Kazuo condemned the brutal slaying of the hostage, and demanded that the Japanese government withdraw the Self-Defense Forces from Iraq. Shii's statement on October 31 follows: "I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved family of Koda Shohei, killed in an outrageous, brutal act of terrorism committed by an armed group in Iraq. Whatever the reason, it is an intolerable act of barbarism to murder a civilian hostage just because their demand was not accepted. The JCP severely condemns such an atrocity. The U.S. illegal war of aggression and its occupation are the root cause of the deteriorating situation in Iraq that allows the tragic incident to occur while making Iraq a hotbed for terrorists. The Japanese government should also be held responsible for this incident as it has supported and encouraged the U.S. illegal war. To prevent a similar tragedy from occurring, the government should stop taking the hardened attitude that clings to the old policies and should work on a drastic change in policies on Iraq along with a withdrawal of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces from Iraq." An armed group in Iraq on October 26 threatened to behead the Japanese hostage if Japan does not withdraw its forces from the country within 48 hours. In a published statement on October 27, JCP Executive Committee Chair Shii had stated as follows: "Another Japanese citizen has been taken hostage in Iraq by an armed group. For whatever reason, we must not condone the brutal act of hostage-taking and threatening to kill the hostage unless their demand is met. The hostage must be released immediately. The Japanese Communist Party demands that the Japanese government make every effort to ensure that the hostage will be released safely. The Iraqi situation is worsening because of the unjustifiable U.S. war and occupation. The Koizumi Cabinet has dispatched Self-Defense Forces units to Iraq in support of this lawless U.S. war. As the result, Japan is obliged to assist in the illegal U.S. war and occupation. The JCP has opposed the government support for the war and its decision to dispatch the SDF to Iraq. The Japanese government should drastically change its Iraq policy, beginning with the withdrawal of the SDF from Iraq, and to make every effort under a United Nations framework to help in Iraq's reconstruction under its sovereignty, and eradicate the root cause of war-related incidents, including the latest hostage-taking act." (end) |