Kazusada Sumiyama, the father of Yoichi Sugiyama, who was killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, has raised questions about the effectiveness of a controversial “anti-conspiracy” bill submitted to the Japanese House of Representatives on March 21, 2017, reports The Mainichi. (Japanese version)
The proposed bill newly establishes a charge of preparing for acts of terrorism and other offenses to which “conspiracy charges” would apply. The government claims that the bill is necessary to prevent terrorism and protect the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo and to ratify the U.N. Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. There has been a great deal of opposition to the bill.
“I heard that the bill is for joining the treaty to crack down on the mafia, but will it be a measure against terrorism?” said Mr. Sumiyama. “I wonder if the government is capitalizing on the treaty (in order to enact the bill).”
Mr. Sumiyama has nearly finished a Japanese translation of The 9/11 Report: The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States and is seeking a publisher.
