As the whole world joins in protest against the U.S. administration's plan to attack Iraq, writes John Manning, Prime Ministers Blair of Great Britain and Koizumi of Japan remain the only conformers to Bush's attack on the entire structure of peace-keeping agreements set up in the United Nations to prevent another world war. The democratic forces of Japan continue to intensify pressure on their government to come to its senses, as this excerpt from a recent editorial from the mass-circulation Japanese Communist Party daily Akahata demonstrates.

Stop U.S. attack on Iraq; violation of international rule for peace

One year after the terrorist attacks on the United States, a U.S. plan to strike Iraq has surfaced as a focal point of international politics and public opinion against the U.S. plan has been growing across the world.

Most of the countries in the world, including Middle East countries, are opposing the looming U.S. war against Iraq. U.S. allies such as France and Germany also criticize the U.S. war plan. The situation is different from the Gulf War.

The British Prime Minister, who indicated British cooperation with the U.S., has been isolated amidst increasing public opposition, including from the Church of England.

Jiang Zemin, Communist Party of China General Secretary, expressed his opposition to the proposed U.S. war against Iraq in his meeting with Fuwa Tetsuzo, Japanese Communist Party Central Committee Chair.

On the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks

U.S. President George W. Bush regards war against Iraq as the 2nd stage of the global U.S. war against terrorism, following the retaliatory war against Afghanistan. He calls Iraq part of the "axis of evil" which supports terrorists.

The U.S. president insists that a pre-emptive attack is necessary. The 2002 U.S. Defense Report states, "defending the United States requires prevention and sometimes pre-emption," and "the only defense is to take the war to the enemy."

The Bush administration has failed to show evidence of Iraq's support for terrorists or its terrorist actions. The administration has been unable to give evidence that Iraq has produced weapons of mass destruction.

However, for the Bush administration, any country under suspicion of supporting terrorists is a target for military attack. In this context, the U.S. can no longer satisfy itself unless it actually launches an attack on Iraq. There is the real danger of war.

This is an attempt to destroy the rules the international community has established to maintain peace.

The U.N. Charter prohibits the use of force by any member country. The only case that a country is allowed to use force is for self-defense if it is attacked by other nations, until the U.N. Security Council has taken necessary measures.

The U.S. Bush administration has announced its intention to make a military attack on the other nation to overthrow its regime because the U.S. doesn't like it. Such behavior is very anachronistic, taking us back to the 19th century when big powers fought with each other in order to expand their territorial spheres.

If military powers are allowed to break rules of the international community in such a manner, the 21st century world will become chaotic.

Once the U.S. starts attacking Iraq, it will expand to a large-scale war in the Middle East involving Israel. It is said that Israel will counter this with nuclear weapons, if the situation warrants their use.

Whatever explanations the U.S. may give, its attack on Iraq will inevitably cause disaster.

Why can't Koizumi say no?

The U.S. Bush Administration is being encircled by a growing opposition to its plan to attack Iraq. This shows that such outrageous U.S. action based on hegemonism won't be easily accepted in the 21st century.

Unless it abandons its dangerous plan to attack Iraq, it will be a target of criticism and further isolated in the international community.

Japan's Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro has not expressed any opposition to the U.S. plan to attack Iraq. This is extremely extraordinary for Japan since it constitutionally renounces war.

In the summit talks, Prime Minister Koizumi should request President Bush not to attack Iraq. If he can't do this, his qualification as Japan's prime minister must be called into question.