Tokyo, Feb 17: Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi today echoed us dismissals of a weekend of protests against war on Iraq, warning such rallies would send the wrong message to Baghdad. "We have to be careful not to send the mistaken message that Iraq is right," Koizumi told reporters at his official residence.
"The ball is in Iraq's court. The international community needs to send Iraq the message that it must cooperate quickly and fully."
An estimated 5,000 protesters joined a "peace parade" in Tokyo's trendy Shibuya district Saturday night while another 100 demonstrated in southern Kadena, Okinawa, home to the biggest US airbase in the far east.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda acknowledged "a peaceful resolution is desirable," while maintaining Japan's tough stance.
"It depends on what Iraq decides to do," said the top government spokesman. "Time is running out."
Koizumi said the onus to prevent war remained on Iraq, accused of developing and hiding weapons of mass destruction, after a presentation last Friday by chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix.
"(The report) shows that Iraqi cooperation is still no good enough. Suspicion remains high as before," he said.
Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi questioned the effectiveness of inspections and emphasised any decision to go to war required international support.
"Doubts about the effectiveness of inspections given Iraq's negative attitude have not changed," she said.
"If the use of force becomes unavoidable, the adoption of a new (UN) resolution is desirable." Bureau Report