Government still describes Iraq war as justifiable

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Government still describes Iraq war as justifiable

The Japanese government on July 3 submitted to the Diet a report on the Self-Defense Forces' mission in Iraq that ended in December 2008.

After even the United States acknowledged that its invasion of Iraq in March 2003 under the Bush administration was a mistake, the Japanese government continues to insist that the Iraq War was a just war.

The report mentions nothing about the U.S. investigation concluding that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction.

The government report provided all the details of the Air Self-Defense Force's airlift operations for the first time.

Regarding the Kuwait-based Air Self-Defense Force airlift mission that was carried out between December, 2003 and 2008, the Japanese government in its public statements emphasized that the ASDF transported humanitarian goods and U.N. personnel.

The government report states that 51 percent of the total number of airlifts by the ASDF was devoted to the transportation of U.S. soldiers. If other nations' solders are included, the figure would reach 65 percent.

Supplies for the Japanese GSDF units accounted for 37 percent of JSDF airlifts until July 2006. Multinational force personnel engaging in combat in Iraq accounted for 30 percent of the airlifts.

Thus, the government has proven that the ASDF units took part mainly in airlifting operations for multinational forces that were taking part in combat in Iraq.

The government report itself proved that most part of the ASDF's airlift missions were providing assistance to the multinational force engaged in the war in Iraq.

The government should acknowledge that dispatches of the SDF to Iraq were wrong.

- Akahata, July 6, 2009