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Japanese protesters call Blair a war criminal
Tokyo, July 18: A small group of Japanese protesters gathered outside the British Embassy here today to denounce Prime Minister Tony Blair`s role in the Iraq war hours before his arrival for talks with Japanese counterpart Junichiro Koizumi.
Tokyo, July 18: A small group of Japanese protesters gathered outside the British Embassy here today to denounce Prime Minister Tony Blair's role in the Iraq war
hours before his arrival for talks with Japanese counterpart Junichiro Koizumi.
Ten protesters chanting "Blair apologise to the Iraqi people" and "British troops out of Iraq" were far-outnumbered by the 20 uniformed police and another 15 security officers
monitoring their 45-minute demonstration.
"Blair will talk with Koizumi about how to rebuild what they helped destroy and how to involve Japan and its military," organiser Koji Sugihara, 37, said through a microphone. "We cannot tolerate this kind of tricky diplomacy." Recalling the pack of cards distributed to the US military in Iraq identifying those most wanted from Saddam Hussein's regime, one placard showed Blair's face with blood dripping from his mouth on an ace of hearts card that read: "Wanted: Tony Blair, war crime person".
After the protest, Sugihara handed an embassy guard a letter addressed to Blair urging him to turn himself into the International Criminal Court as a war criminal for using questionable material to justify the invasion of Iraq.
US-led troops occupying Iraq for three months have yet to find conclusive proof Iraq had chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. The British premier was not expected to arrive until late today and was due to stay at a hotel in central Tokyo, well away from the embassy.
Bureau Report
"Blair will talk with Koizumi about how to rebuild what they helped destroy and how to involve Japan and its military," organiser Koji Sugihara, 37, said through a microphone. "We cannot tolerate this kind of tricky diplomacy." Recalling the pack of cards distributed to the US military in Iraq identifying those most wanted from Saddam Hussein's regime, one placard showed Blair's face with blood dripping from his mouth on an ace of hearts card that read: "Wanted: Tony Blair, war crime person".
After the protest, Sugihara handed an embassy guard a letter addressed to Blair urging him to turn himself into the International Criminal Court as a war criminal for using questionable material to justify the invasion of Iraq.
US-led troops occupying Iraq for three months have yet to find conclusive proof Iraq had chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. The British premier was not expected to arrive until late today and was due to stay at a hotel in central Tokyo, well away from the embassy.
Bureau Report