Time to review Iraq policy

日本が対イラク政策を見直すべき時

"I feel strong anger at this brutal and inhuman act," Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said in a statement. "We will continue our fight against terrorism with determination." At the same time, he emphasized that members of the Self-Defense Forces will continue to support humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in the southern Iraqi city of Samawah.

In a video message Oct. 27, a militant group calling itself the "al-Qaeda Organization of Holy War of Mesopotamia" said that it would kill Mr. Koda unless the SDF unit was withdrawn within 48 hours. The slaying of a civilian hostage, a despicable act, is simply unforgivable.

After the message was aired, Mr. Koizumi said that the government would do everything it could to secure the release of the hostage, but he made it clear that Tokyo would not give in to terrorists and would not withdraw the troops. It was the right response. It was the only choice for Mr. Koizumi, who supported the war in Iraq and sent troops there for non-combat duty.

The government's Iraq policy remains a divisive issue, but yielding to the threat of terrorism is out of the question. Nevertheless, the fact that Mr. Koda has become the first Japanese hostage to be killed in Iraq needs to be taken seriously. His death has given Mr. Koizumi's political opponents fresh ammunition for attacking him.

The moment of decision is approaching for Mr. Koizumi, as the troop deployment in Samawah expires Dec. 14. Under the circumstances, the government appears set to extend the deadline. The prime minister says he will make his decision after conducting a "comprehensive" study of the Iraqi situation. If he decides to extend the deployment he should explain his decision to the nation.

It appears that the rationale for the SDF dispatch is becoming less tenable than before. The U.S. administration's justification for the Iraq war has been seriously weakened by a report from its chief arms inspector that states no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq. The security situation in Samawah is deteriorating, as demonstrated by rocket attacks on the SDF camp Oct. 23 and 31. The latest attack resulted in damaged equipment for the first time.

Opposition parties are calling for a troop withdrawal. This issue should be thoroughly discussed in the Diet with respect to the chaotic situation in Iraq, the legitimacy of the troop dispatch and other relevant matters. Perhaps it is time to re-examine Mr. Koizumi's Iraq policy as well.

In addition to Mr. Koda, four other Japanese have been killed in Iraq. In November 2003, two diplomats died after they were ambushed near Tikrit, and in May, two journalists were shot by gunmen near Baghdad. Five others — journalists and volunteers — were abducted and released in April.

In the case of the trio, the captors demanded that Japan withdraw its troops, but the government stayed the course. Fortunately, the abductees were released as a result of negotiations between the militants and local Islamic clerics. This time, however, there was apparently much less chance of freeing Mr. Koda. The group involved — which is reportedly headed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian militant linked to al-Qaeda — is held responsible for the abduction and murder of more than 10 foreigners, including Americans.

It is unclear why Mr. Koda went to Iraq despite government warnings. Reportedly he visited New Zealand in January in search of volunteer work, but in October he left there for the Middle East. He entered Iraq from Jordan, reportedly ignoring advice from residents and friends.

Security remains a tremendous problem in Iraq despite the transfer of sovereignty to an interim government. An immediate task for Tokyo is to examine in detail how and why the incident occurred, and its response. And the results of the study should be reflected in Japan's Iraq policy.

The Japan Times Weekly
Nov. 13, 2004
(C) All rights reserved

      小泉首相は「断固たる姿勢でテロとの戦いを継続する」と述べ、イラク・サマワに駐留する自衛隊の人道援助などの活動継続を約束した。

      香田さんを拘束した「イラクの聖戦アルカイダ組織」は、10月27日に発表したビデオ映像で、48時間以内に自衛隊がイラクから撤退しなければ、香田さんを殺害すると通告した。

      これに対し小泉首相は、政府は人質救出に全力をあげるが、テロには屈せず、自衛隊も撤退させないことを明言した。イラク戦争を支持し、自衛隊を派遣した首相にとって当然の決断だった。

      サマワの自衛隊派遣の期限は12月14日に切れる。小泉首相が期限延長を決断するのであれば、国民に対し十分な説明をする必要がある。

      最近の情勢の変化で、自衛隊イラク派遣の正当性に疑問が出てきている。イラクで大量破壊兵器は発見されておらず、最近の自衛隊宿営地に対する2回のロケット攻撃が示すように、サマワの治安情勢は悪化している。

      野党陣営は自衛隊のイラクからの撤退を求めている。この問題は国会で徹底的に論議すべきだ。小泉政権の対イラク政策も精査が必要だ。

      香田さん以外に、これまで日本人4人がイラクで殺害された。03年11月に外交官2人、04年5月にはジャーナリスト2人が殺された。このほか5人の日本人が人質に取られたが、のちに解放。香田さんを人質に取ったのは、ヨルダン人テロリスト、アブムサブ・ザルカウィ容疑者率いる組織で、米国人など外国人10人以上の拉致、殺害を実行したとされる。

      イラクでは暫定政権への主権移譲後も、治安が大きな問題となっている。政府は、香田さん事件の背景を分析し、対イラク政策策定に活かすべきだ。