 JCP in Diet urges Koizumi to stop supporting U.S. attack on Fallujah Japanese Communist Party representatives urged Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro to withdraw his support for the attack on Fallujah that the U.S. forces launched, killing civilians in violation of international humanitarian law. At the House of Representatives special committee meeting on Iraqi affairs on November 25, Akamine Seiken referred to the indiscriminate killing of as many as 2,000 citizens in Fallujah. "Now that the U.S. operation has apparently sacrificed so many lives, the need now is for the Japanese government to immediately request the U.S. government to stop the operation," he said. Prime Minister Koizumi reiterated that he supports the operation. Referring to the statement of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights that anti-humanitarian actions in Fallujah must be investigated, Akamine stated, "The only alternative for Japan is to withdraw the Self-Defense Forces from Iraq." On November 26, Ogata Yasuo used his questioning at the meeting of the House of Councilors Special Committee on Iraq to state that the Japanese prime minister's open support for the U.S. military operation in Fallujah has a negative effect on Iraq's political situation. Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro admitted that he didn't raise the issue of Fallujah when he met in private with U.S. President George W. Bush on November 20 during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Santiago de Chile. While stating, "It is a matter of regret that ordinary citizens were killed," Koizumi cited what the U.S. military touted as a success by stating, "The operation has proven to be effective." Late last year, the Japanese ambassador to the United Nations stated how cowardly it is to kill defenseless Iraqi citizens, in particular children and women. Pointing out this fact, Ogata said, "How pitiful it is for the prime minister to be unable to say anything to the U.S. president on this question! It's using a double standard." (end) |