Diet must discuss basic prerequisite for ending terrorism: JCP Shii

   Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo at a news conference in Nagasaki City made clear the JCP’s basic stance towards the Diet discussion on a new anti-terrorism special measures bill.

   “In discussing this question, it is important for every party to get to the root of the issue. What is needed to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan and to eradicate terrorism? What should Japan do to achieve these objectives?” Shii said.

   Today, the policy of waging wars of retaliation against terrorism has given rise to the vicious circle of both escalating military attacks and terrorism in the past six years.

   Shii pointed out that the Karzai government of Afghanistan has changed gear to seek peace through political dialogue with armed groups. He said, “An end should be put to the war of retaliation, and political negotiations seeking peace should start. Only when such efforts are made can assistance to improve people’s living conditions such as measures dealing with poverty and drought take effect. Japan must make diplomatic efforts to create such an environment. Japan must put an end to its assistance to the retaliatory war, the biggest obstacle to a political settlement.”

   Shii criticized the government and ruling parties, saying, “They lack not only any understanding of the situation in Afghanistan but also refuse to consider serious examinations of the way to eradicate terrorism. They are simply clinging to Japan’s military assistance to the retaliatory war by continuing the Maritime Self-Defense Force operations in the Indian Ocean.”

   Shii also spoke about the issue of collusion between politicians, bureaucrats, and the military industry as shown in the recently revealed fact that an arms trading company entertained former Administrative Vice Defense Minister Moriya Takemasa at a golf resort.

   Shii referred to a media report that Moriya recommended the trading company that entertained him to be the import agency for the Defense Ministry in its purchase of engines for the next-generation transport aircraft from General Electric.

   “A serious suspicion grows that defense policies may have been distorted in return for entertainment. Mr. Moriya must be summoned to the Diet as a sworn witness. It is absolutely unacceptable to proceed with discussions on the anti-terrorism special measures bill while putting aside investigation of the suspicion of corruption. The Diet should give top priority to charting the route of investigation,” Shii said.

   Shii pointed out that the top 15 companies in the military industry gave the Liberal Democratic Party a total of 186.9 million yen in donations in FY 2006 and that their contracts with the Defense Ministry amounted to 907.6 billion yen. He said, “The scale of collusion is enormous. It is necessary for the Diet to thoroughly investigate not only Mr. Moriya’s case but the entire setup of collusion between political, bureaucratic, and business worlds over military contracts.”

- Akahata, October 22, 2007