Cabinet decides to extend Iraq special measures law

   The Abe Cabinet on March 30 approved a bill to extend the Special Measures Law on Iraq for two more years in order to enable the Air Self-Defense Force to continue supporting U.S. military operations in Iraq.

   The government and ruling parties attach importance to the extension of the law, which was enacted in July 2003 and is due to expire in July, to get it enacted in the current Diet session.

   Commenting on the cabinet decision, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi on the same day said the SDF must be immediately withdrawn from Iraq.

   Pointing out that bills to get the U.S. forces out of Iraq were passed through both Houses in the U.S. Congress, Ichida said that this decision of the Japanese government shows “its deep subservience to the Bush administration and should never be allowed.”

   Ichida also said that most of the ASDF activities in Iraq are devoted to assistance to the U.S. forces that are attacking Iraq citizens, adding, “The government must not support the U.S. forces but make efforts to provide urgent humanitarian assistance in cooperation with the U.N. and other international organizations.”                               - Akahata, March 31, 2007