Japanese editorial excerpts

Japan Policy & Politics, Nov 18, 2002

TOKYO, Nov. 15 Kyodo

Selected editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

MAINTAIN GLOBAL PRESSURE ON IRAQ (The Daily Yomiuri as translated from the Yomiuri Shimbun)

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime has accepted the U.N. resolution that called on Baghdad to destroy all weapons of mass destruction and allow entry of U.N. weapons inspectors...

However, this only marks the first step. Iraq must now fully cooperate with U.N. arms inspections...

Iraq's failure to carry out the terms of the resolution would give the U.N. Security Council a good reason to allow the United States to take military action.

In a letter of acceptance to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Iraq stressed that the inspectors would find that it had not developed weapons of mass destruction since the suspension of U.N. arms inspections in 1998.

With this statement, Baghdad now must convince the inspectors by cooperating with them unconditionally and fully.

Iraq must fully realize that any violation of the resolution would be an act of folly that would lead to war.

In past inspections, Iraq repeatedly deceived and obstructed arms experts. The four years since arms inspections were suspended in 1998 has been long enough for Iraq to conceal weapons and fabricate documents. Therefore, the inspectors must conduct thorough inspections promptly to uncover any such misconduct.

Helicopters, airplanes and land vehicles will be essential to move around a territory 1.2 times the size of Japan and observe the terrain from the air. It will also be important to make use of satellite photographs.

The inspections will be more effective if Iraqi scientists and high-ranking government officials, who are believed to have confidential information, are questioned outside Iraq, where Saddam's influence does not reach.

In this respect, it is essential for the international community to support the inspectors' activities...

Iraq has admitted that it produced 3.9 tons of VX nerve gas but claims it has disposed of 1.5 tons. It also says it has destroyed a massive amount of biological substances, such as anthrax, and warheads filled with such bio weapons. However, neither of these claims has been verified. Above all, its suspected nuclear weapons development program has yet to be clarified.

The international community is in common agreement that Iraq must disarm by disposing of all weapons of mass destruction.

Iraq's fellow Arab nations, at an emergency meeting of foreign ministers, pressed Baghdad to accept the resolution.

A unified front must be maintained to stop the proliferation of these horrific weapons.

(Nov. 15)