Keep the Self-Defense Forces at Home

     In a Budget Committee Meeting of the House of Representatives on November 25, 2003
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi repeated his comments on the war in Iraq like a parrot in
answer to Naoto Kan, representative of the Democratic Party of Japan. His answer was he
would decide whether he would dispatch the Japanese Self-Defense Forces by making sure
of the circumstances of Iraq. Koizumi�fs answer has made us believe that he is hesitating about
dispatching the Self-Defense Forces within the year, but Koizumi should not dispatch the
Self-Defense forces to Iraq because he is hesitating. He has not realized yet that Japan will
have wandered deep into a labyrinth if she dispatches the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq.
     Opinions against dispatching the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq seem to be weak among the
mass media, political commentators and politicians, although about ninety percent of public
opinion is against it. However, the present state of affairs is rapidly changing. Suicide bombers
killed twenty-six people and injured over 450 people in Istanbul on November 20. A British
financial group HSBC and the British Consulate General was attacked then. The suicide bomb
killed a consul general. Not only did it have a strong influence on a top-level meeting between
the United Kingdom and the United States, which was taking place when terrorists exploded
bombs in Istanbul, but also on British people. A demonstration against Bush�fs visiting England
was held on a large scale in London on November 20 (November 21 Japan time). According
to a citizens�f group that sponsored the demonstration, about five hundred thousand people
took part in it. This may be the first step toward a citizens�f movement against Blair and Bush.
Besides, Mr. Francois Jurer, head of the Diplomacy-National Defense Institute of France,
declared in the opinion column of the Asahi (November 21, 2003): �gI would never think that
dispatching the Japanese Self-Defense Forces is a clever choice. The Japanese government
should listen to the voices of public opinion and knowledgeable people in the world, and should
abandon the ideal of dispatching the Self-Defense Forces.�h
     However, the situation is turning around. The U.S.A. is planning to develop small-sized
nuclear weapons. Japan also seems to have decided to produce interceptor missiles in
cooperation with the U.S.A. The military buildup by the two countries will increase the tension in
the world more and more. Neither America nor Japan should underestimate terrorists in Iraq such
as the remnants of the Saddam Hussein regime and al-Qaeda, an international terrorists�f
organization. According Kazuo Takahashi, assistant professor of �gHoso-Daigaku�h (�gNHK's
Broadcast University�h), overthrowing the Hussein regime resulted in introducing al-Qaeda into
Iraq. Members of al-Qaeda had not been able to be active there in the Hussein regime. (cf., the
above Asahi) If they politically conspire with each other, what will happen? Although the following
story may sound absurd, the illegal terrorists�f organization may change into a legal government one
of these days. In fact, the Israeli Ambassador to Japan testified that the authorities of Palestinians
themselves were an accomplice of terrorism. (The Asahi, November 21, 2003) Both America and
Japan should learn from the miserable state of affairs in Palestine. Hatred and slaughter have been
repeated there endlessly. Someday, somebody has to stop the chain of tragedies.
     In the same column of the Asahi Mr. Francois Jurer proposed that the U.S.A should put the
future of Iraq in the UN�fs charge. However, the writer has to dare to give him a warning. That is,
the UN, in which the future of Iraq will be entrusted, will not be useful if they are at the US�f beck
and call. Frankly speaking, the writer feels uneasy about Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the
United Nations. The opinions of France and Germany should be reflected. If the UN is an
organization that helps to take part in battles conducted by the U.S.A., returning Iraq to the UN
does not have any meaning. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi should decide to stop his plan to
dispatch the Japanese Self-Defense Forces as soon as possible, giving consideration to the
movements of the world concerning Iraq.  

Copyright (C) 2003 by Edmond N. Beard