 'Inhumane war crime': JCP Shii on U.S. indiscriminate attack on Fallujah Criticizing the indiscriminate attack by U.S. forces on the residents of Fallujah in Iraq, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo at the press conference on November 10 stated, "This should be reported as a war crime in violation of the international humanitarian law." Shii cited media coverage on the arbitrary attacks on Fallujah, such as Qatar-based Algezeera as saying that 'Scores of civilians' including doctors, nurses, and patients were killed in Fallujah by the U.S. forces that even destroyed a clinic and a doctor at a city-run hospital testifying that they shot an emergency vehicle, as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross expressing "its deep concern over the mounting violence in the town," saying that it amounts to violation of the international humanitarian law prohibiting "the killing or harming of civilians who are not directly taking part in the hostilities." Then Shii stated, "To begin with, the Iraq war is a war of aggression without any justifiable cause. The armed suppression in Iraq only helps aggravate the Iraqi situation." He continued, "What is worse, the U.S. operation in Fallujah is nothing but war crimes against humanity. Notwithstanding this, Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro has expressed his wish that the U.S. operations in Fallujah will succeed. A reasonable politician could never make such irresponsible remarks." (end) |