Top �� What's up around the Prime Minister �� March, 2003

Meeting of the Security Council Tuesday, March 18, 2003 A meeting of the Security Council was held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. The meeting was promptly convened in order to ensure that all necessary measures are taken to secure the safety of the people in light of the fact that the revised resolution jointly submitted to the United Nations Security Council by the United States, the United Kingdom and Spain has been retracted, and that President George W. Bush of the United States had delivered an address in which he informed the Republic of Iraq that unless the Hussein Administration itself chose the path of peace, the United States would have no choice but to resort to the use of military force. At the meeting, the members of the Council received an explanation by the Chairman of the Joint Staff Council regarding the projection of the state of battle in the event that an attack on Iraq occurs and a decision was taken to enhance countermeasures against terrorism, including reinforcing the security of important facilities in Japan, conducting thorough immigration control and ensuring the safety of the people.