JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 03/28/06

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 001598 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR E, P, EB, EAP/J, EAP/P, EAP/PD, PA; WHITE HOUSE/NSC/NEC; JUSTICE FOR STU CHEMTOB IN ANTI-TRUST DIVISION; TREASURY/OASIA/IMI/JAPAN; DEPT PASS USTR/PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; SECDEF FOR JCS-J-5/JAPAN, DASD/ISA/EAPR/JAPAN; DEPT PASS ELECTRONICALLY TO USDA FAS/ITP FOR SCHROETER; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR; CINCPAC FLT/PA/ COMNAVFORJAPAN/PA. E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 03/28/06 Index: 1) Top headlines 2) Editorials 3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 4) Government plans 76.5 billion yen ODA loan to Iraq to build infrastructure 5) Russia's President Putin to visiting former prime minister Mori: "Regrettable we still don't have a peace treaty" Prime Minister Koizumi meets the press: 6) Koizumi stresses end of deflation by September in press conference 7) Text of Koizumi's comments in press conference on economy, LDP election, Iraq, and Yasukuni Shrine issue Defense and security issues: 8) Obituary: Once key player on Futenma relocation issue, former Nago City mayor Kishimoto dies 9) Where will the government and Nago City come down finally in talks on shifting location of Futenma alternate facility? 10) Unlikely that final agreement on USFJ realignment can be reached by end of month, likely to slip to April or later 11) US, Japan to meet on March 30-31 on final coordination on Marine relocation cost sharing 12) Kyodo poll finds majority of Japanese negative about Japan bearing cost of moving Marines from Okinawa to Guam 13) US bases to refuse transit or refuge to Japanese civilians under Tokyo, Okinawa emergency plans 14) Joint unified command over three self-defense forces designed to respond flexibly to terrorist attacks, disasters Economic agenda: 15) Poll shows public now favors social welfare over boosting economy as priority policy area 16) Family assets dropped 11% in five years survey shows, further proof of expanding income disparity in Japan 17) Minshuto has lost its momentum as opposition force since e- mail fiasco 18) Movement to restart US beef trade as US, Japanese experts meet in Tokyo Articles: 1) TOP HEADLINES Asahi, Mainichi, Yomiuri, Sankei & Tokyo Shimbun: Death sentence for Aum Shinrikyo founder Asahara likely to become final as high court dismisses appeal 
Nihon Keizai: Sapporo, other firms to change articles of association ahead of legal change 2) EDITORIALS Asahi: (1) Basic rules needed for disconnecting life support TOKYO 00001598 002 OF 011 (2) LDP likely to dominate debate on policy in the second half of the Diet session Mainichi: (1) Introduction of pluthermal program dependent on zero accidents (2) The social divide: Will next prime minister be chosen from among LDP lawmakers? Yomiuri: (1) Pluthermal power the way of the future (2) Legal improvements necessary for disconnecting life support Nihon Keizai: (1) Death sentence for Asahara likely to be finalized without further appeal (2) Nuclear fuel cycle must be pushed forward Sankei: (1) Heavy responsibility lies on Aum Shinrikyo founder Asahara's attorneys (2) We praise Saga Prefecture's foresight on pluthermal power Tokyo Shimbun: (1) Consumption tax hike: Government should show many choices (2) Consent needed for disconnecting life support 3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) Prime Minister's schedule, March 27 NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) March 28, 2006 08:02 Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Suzuki at the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei). 09:00 Upper House Budget Committee meeting. 11:58 Arrived at the Kantei. 13:00 Upper House Budget Committee meeting. 15:47 Handed a party endorsement certificate to a person expected to run in the Lower House Chiba Constituency No. 7 by-election. Then attended an executive meeting. 16:06 Arrived at the Kantei. 16:41 Upper House plenary session. 17:29 Met with LDP Secretary General Takebe. Then visited Upper House President Ogi and Vice President Tsunoda, and senor officials of the ruing parties to report the passage of the budget bill. TOKYO 00001598 003 OF 011 18:30 Press conference at the Kantei. Then met with former Executive Council Chairman Ozato. 19:32 Dined with Chairman Sata and ruling party-member directors of the Lower House Steering Committee at Chinese restaurant at Hotel Okura. Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Nagase were present. SIPDIS 21:10 Arrived at the official residence. 4) Government to offer 76.5 billion yen in yen loans to Iraq for irrigation, power plants, port improvement projects YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) March 28, 2006 The government decided yesterday to provide Iraq with 76.5 billion yen (approximately 655 million dollars) for irrigation, power plants, and port improvement projects in the near future. The money will be disbursed from the 3.5 billion dollars in yen loans set aside by the government for Iraq. Foreign Minister Aso will announce the decision today. With an eye on a withdrawal of Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) troops from Iraq, Japan will reveal its intention to continue to help reconstructing Iraq even after their withdrawal. Japan suspended yen loans to Iraq in ¶1985. It will resume the assistance for the first time in 20 years. The yen loans will finance projects to construct irrigation facilities and power plants across Iraq, as well as to improve ports in the southern part of the nation. The Iraqi side has asked Japan to provide this kind of assistance, citing the serious lack of cultivated land and water due to successive wars there. The Japanese and Iraqi governments are expected to sign an agreement for the yen-loan projects after a permanent Iraqi government is inaugurated, and the projects are likely to be implemented in or after May. The Japanese government announced at the fall 2003 international conference on Iraq reconstruction to offer 3.5 billion dollars worth of loans and 1.5 billion dollars worth of grant aid. Almost all the grant money has already been used, but the 3.5 billion dollars in loans has been left untouched due to delays in reducing the debt Iraq owes Japan. 5) "It is regrettable that there is no peace treaty with Japan," says Russian president in talks with former Prime Minister Mori NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) March 28, 2006 Members of the Japan-Russia Eminent Persons Conference, including former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori are now visiting Russia. They met with President Putin at the annex to the President's Office at noon yesterday (evening of the same day, Japan time). During the meeting, the president underscored, "It is regrettable that TOKYO 00001598 004 OF 011 there is no peace treaty between the two countries. The only means to settle this situation would be (to settle the Northern Territories issue),based on criteria set under international law, national interests of the two countries and the building of trust and friendship." He thus indicated his intention to continue efforts to settle the Northern Territories issue. During the meeting of the Eminent Persons Conference, Putin visited the annex and extended a greeting for several minutes: "Russia is aiming to settle every issue with Japan. I hope we can find solutions that are acceptable to our two countries." 6) Prime Minister Koizumi voices hopes of getting economy out of deflation by September, expects successor to keep reform policy on track NIHON KEIZAI (Page 1) (Full) March 28, 2006 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi expressed his determination to work hard to get the economy out of deflation by September, when his term of office as Liberal Democratic Party president expires. The prime minister said in a press conference last night after the government's budget for fiscal 2006 cleared at the House of Councillors' plenary session: "I would like to bring the economy onto a solid recovery track and get it out of deflation as soon as possible. I am determined to do my best to fulfill my official responsibilities as prime minister until my tenure in office expires in September." In reference to his successor, Koizumi said: "I hope a successor will put on a stable track the reform drive that the Koizumi cabinet has carried out in cooperation with the ruling parties." On the question of whether to withdraw Self-Defense Force troops stationed in Iraq, he just said: "We are not in the stage of speaking of the timing of their withdrawal for now." Asked if he would make another visit to Yasukuni Shrine before he steps down, the prime minister replied: "I will make a proper judgment." Regarding the Chinese and South Korean governments' criticism of him, the prime minister commented: "It is still hard to understand. These are the only two countries that continue to cut off summit talks because of antagonism over the issue." Now that the budget has passed the Diet, the focus of deliberations will be shifted to such key legislation as a bill amending the Basic Education Law, those related to promoting administrative reform, and a national referendum bill governing procedures for constitutional revision. Struggle among potential post-Koizumi candidates is also likely to intensify now. 7) Main points from Prime Minister Koizumi's press conference March 27 YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) March 28, 2006 Economic management I would like to get the economy out of deflation as soon as possible by consolidating the economic recovery. TOKYO 00001598 005 OF 011 LDP presidential election I want my successor to push ahead with the reform drive by following the path paved by the Koizumi cabinet. It is said that being a leader requires three qualities: a sense of mission, insight, and passion. I hope that armed with those qualities, my successor will deal with matters appropriately. Iraq A rocky path lies ahead of the Iraqi people's effort to establish their own stable and democratic government. It is too early to mention when Japan will withdraw the (Ground) Self-Defense Force troops. Visits to Yasukuni Shrine I will make an appropriate decision on my visit to Yasukuni Shrine (during my tenure in office). I cannot understand the Chinese and South Korean governments' criticism of my visits to Yasukuni Shrine. It would make no sense for any country not to hold summit talks because of a single issue (paying homage at Yasukuni Shrine). Progressive Japanese people, intelligent people, and critics all say, "Japan-China relations have gone awry because of visits to Yasukuni Shrine." Is this correct? If Japan does as China says, does that mean progress in Japan's policy toward Asia? The answer is no. We must develop relations with China and South Korea regardless of clashes of opinions over a matter or two. 8) Former Nago Mayor Kishimoto, who accepted relocation of Futenma Air Station, dies YOMIURI (Page 39) (Full) March 28, 2006 Tateo Kishimoto, former mayor of Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture, died at 6:50 p.m. yesterday. He was 62 years old. His home is at 256-1, Umosa, Nago City. The schedule for the funeral service and the location of the funeral have yet to be decided. In 1999, Kishimoto declared his intention to accept the plan to relocate the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City to a place offshore from Henoko in Nago City. But in the interim report on the realignment of US forces in Japan released last October, the relocation site was changed to the coastal area of Camp Schwab. Kishimoto had been opposed to that change. In December 1997, when Kishimoto served as deputy mayor, then Mayor Tetsuya Higa announced he would accept the relocation plan for the Futenma airfield and resigned from the post. As his successor, Kishimoto ran in the mayoral election and won his first election. In December 1999, he formally declared he would accept the relocation plan. In February 2002, he won reelection, but in May 2004, he was hospitalized and underwent an operation. He never recovered from his illness. This past January, he abandoned plans to run again. 9) Futenma relocation flight paths: What is the settlement line? Government intends to try to get away with minor changes, while Nago wants to see flight paths moved to ocean side of residential TOKYO 00001598 006 OF 011 area YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) March 28, 2006 Defense Agency Director General Fukushiro Nukaga is scheduled to hold another round of talks later this week with Nago Mayor Yoshikazu Shimabukuro in order to settle quickly the question of relocating the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture to the coastline of Camp Schwab in the prefecture. However, with views between the central government and Nago remaining wide apart over making changes to the alternate facility's flight paths, whether Nukaga and Shimabukuro can find common ground remains unclear. Around yesterday noon, Nago Vice Mayor Bunshin Suematsu briefed the Henoko, Toyohara, and Kushi district mayors on the minor changes proposed by the central government. As a result, they agreed to oppose them at present. Shimabukuro held talks yesterday afternoon with Gov. Keiichi Inamine and briefed him on his talks on March 25-26 with Nukaga. Shimabukuro is reportedly asked Nukaga to move (the flight paths) to the ocean side of the residential area in accordance with the Nago's call to move the government's plan 450 meters further out to sea. The government proposed, among other things, turning the direction of the runway about 10 degrees counter-clockwise. It would be difficult to set the flight paths on the ocean side of the Abu district. Meanwhile, Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya in a press conference yesterday expressed displeasure with Nago, saying: "According to government surveys, there is a valuable marine habitat there for the dugongs. But local people said, 'There is no marine habitat,' and 'We haven't seen dugongs here for decades.'" Former Nago Mayor Tateo Kishimoto passed away yesterday evening. He was opposed to the government plan. Nukaga and Shimabukuro initially planned to meet tomorrow, but they decided to postpone it. A Defense Agency official said, "With the death of Kishimoto, the overall timetable for talks may be delayed." 10) Final agreement between Japan and US on USFJ realignment to slip to next month or later NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) March 28, 2006 Following the death of former Nago Mayor Tateo Kishimoto, the planned March 29 talks between Defense Agency Director General Fukushiro Nukaga and incumbent Nago Mayor Yoshikazu Shimabukuro will likely be put off, government officials revealed yesterday. Chances are now strong that a final agreement between Japan and the United States on the relocation of the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station will be delayed to April or later although the two countries initially planned for the end of March if the talks between the central government and Nago City are postponed. 11) Japan-US talks reset for Mar. 30-31 over USJF realignment TOKYO 00001598 007 OF 011 MAINICHI (Page 2) (Abridged) March 28, 2006 Japan and the United States will hold another round of talks in Washington on March 30-31 over issues regarding the realignment of US forces in Japan, with senior officials for foreign and defense affairs attending. The Japanese and US governments have already agreed to wind up the realignment talks in late March and are expected to enter into the final phase of coordination over pending issues, such as Japan's share of the cost of moving US Marines from Okinawa to Guam. With the talks scheduled ahead, the Japanese government is now coordinating with the municipal government of Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture, on the issue of relocating the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station. Tokyo wants to reach an agreement with Nago before the talks. Tokyo, Washington, and Nago will be in the climax of negotiations this week over the US military realignment. 12) Kyodo News poll on relocation of US Marines: 51% reluctant about cost-sharing, with over 40% in favor of TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Excerpts) March 28, 2006 Kyodo News Services conducted a nationwide telephone opinion poll on March 25-26 concerning the ongoing talks between the Japanese and US governments on the realignment of US forces in Japan, now in the final stage. On the focal question of whether Japan should share the cost of relocation of US Marines in Okinawa to Guam, the poll found that a total of 51.3% of the respondents were reluctant, including those who said, "Japan should not pay the cost at all" and those who said, "Japan should not pay much of the cost." Yet, the poll revealed that with a total of 45.3% being positive about cost sharing, the public is divided over the issue. Those who said, "I support the Koizumi cabinet," came to 50.4%, the figure being almost the same as 51.8% of the previous survey conducted in February. Those who said, "I don't support it," reached 41.0%, up 3.8 points. On the developments of the talks on the US force realignment, local municipalities, including Okinawa Prefecture and Iwakuni City in Yamaguchi Prefecture, are raising strong objections to the realignment plans. In response to the question asking what the Japanese government should do to reach a final agreement, those who said, "Japan should make efforts to reach a conclusion, giving consideration to both (the United States and local residents),accounted for the largest percentage of 56.6%, greatly topping 35.5% of the respondents who said, "Japan should give priority to local wishes," and 5.7% of the respondents who said, "Japan should give priority to agreement with the US." The US government has estimated the relocation cost at a total of 10 billion dollars, or approximately 1.18 trillion yen. It has asked the Japanese government to pay 75% of the cost. When asked about this cost-sharing, 2.4% of the respondents said, "Japan should pay as large a share of the cost as possible," and 42.9% said, "Japan should pay the cost to some extent." On the other hand, 37.0% said, "Japan should not have too large a share of the cost," and 14.3% said, "Japan should not pay anything at all." TOKYO 00001598 008 OF 011 13) US bases in Tokyo, Okinawa to give no right of way for emergency evacuation MAINICHI (Page 2) (Abridged) March 28, 2006 The United States is refusing to give the right of way through the premises of its military bases in Tokyo and Okinawa for base- neighboring local communities' evacuation of their residents in the event of armed attacks against Japan and other emergencies, sources revealed. The Tokyo metropolitan and Okinawa prefectural governments had incorporated such emergency evacuation in their respective initial civilian protection plans. The central government will cross it out in its plan to be adopted in a cabinet meeting on March 31. The United States, according to the sources, has cited crisis management as a primary reason for its disagreement. However, the US Air Force's Yokota base in Tokyo covers an area of 714 hectares and stretches over five cities and a town. In Okinawa, US military bases occupy about 10% of its land area. The two local governments are at a loss, with one of their officials saying, "We can't facilitate local evacuation during emergencies because their bases stand in our way." Other municipalities hosting US bases have similar trouble, according to the sources. The problem will likely involve many more base- hosting localities. The Okinawa prefectural government had planned to take necessary measures, including on-base traffic and evacuation, because a large number of local residents live in areas situated between US military bases and the sea and they may be isolated. The Tokyo Metropolitan government had also incorporated similar measures in order to evacuate Yokota base neighbors during emergencies. According to Cabinet Secretariat and other government officials, the Foreign Ministry and other relevant government offices held consultations with the US Embassy and US forces. However, the US side refused the Japanese proposal for security reasons, saying it will be impossible to tell terrorists from the general public on base. The Tokyo metropolitan and Okinawa prefectural governments therefore decided to delete these on-base traffic and evacuation measures from their respective plans. However, both Tokyo and Okinawa will continue their requests to the US side. 14) SDF starts integrated operations SANKEI (Page 2) (Abridged) March 28, 2006 The Self-Defense Forces yesterday integrated the operations of its land, sea, and air branches for rapid deployment in the event of terrorism, disasters, and various other contingencies. The Joint Staff Council (JSC),which has liaised with the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces (GSDF, MSDF, and ASDF),has now been reorganized into the Joint Staff Office (JSO). JSC Chairman Lt. Gen. Hajime Massaki has become the first JSO chief. The GSDF, MSDF, and ASDF, which used to assist the Defense Agency director general through their respective chiefs of staff, will launch joint task forces in order to deal more effectively and rapidly with missile defense (MD),major earthquakes, international emergency relief, and various other situations. The JSO chief will now assist the defense chief and command the three TOKYO 00001598 009 OF 011 SDF services. The SDF's operational integration is based on a July 2005 amendment to the Defense Agency Establishment Law. The three SDF services could not team up and liaise well at the time of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. In addition, the SDF needed to have an integrated point of contact with US Forces Japan. The GSDF, MSDF, and ASDF chiefs of staff, who have respectively led the three SDF services, will be held responsible for education, training, defense buildup, and other managerial functions. The three top brass officers, remaining aides-de-camp to the defense chief, will be in charge of rear-echelon logistics in the event a joint task force is organized. 15) Poll: Economic measures gradually down among priority issues for Koizumi cabinet NIHON KEIZAI (Page 5) (Full) March 28, 2006 The Nihon Keizai Shimbun conducted a public opinion survey on March 24-26, in which respondents were asked to pick one or more policy issues they want the Koizumi cabinet to pursue on a priority basis. In response to this question, social security, such as pensions and welfare services, topped all other issues at 55%, followed by economic measures at 26%, educational reform at 23%, tax reform at 22%, fiscal reconstruction at 21%, and employment measures at 21%. In the survey, the proportion of those who picked social security leveled off from a survey conducted in December last year, with that of those picking economic measures down 3 percentage points. Economic measures topped all other issues over 60% for a while after the Koizumi cabinet came into office in the spring of 2001. With the nation's economy recovering, however, economic measures have declined in public precedence. The general public is also taking a bullish outlook for the economy. In the survey, respondents were asked if they thought the nation's economy would improve. In response, "yes" accounted for 24%, up 4 points from last December's survey. The survey was taken by Nikkei Research Inc. over the telephone on a random digit dialing (RDD) basis. For the survey, samples were chosen from among males and females, aged 20 and over, across the nation. A total of 1,488 households with one or more voters were sampled, and answers were obtained from 846 persons (56.9%). 16) Household assets decrease 11% over five years, according to survey by Internal Affairs Ministry TINUYRU (Page 2) (Full) March 28, 2006 The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry yesterday released the results of the fact-finding survey on national consumption the ministry conducts every five years. The total amount of assets held by one household as of the end of November 2004 was 39 million yen on average, down 11.1% from the previous survey (1999). The decline in land prices has brought down residential land equity, which accounts for 56% of all household TOKYO 00001598 010 OF 011 assets, by 18.6% and home equity by 2.3%. Financial assets grew 6.1% due to increased savings reflecting the recent economic recovery. Classifying all households into 10 groups according to annual income, the ministry found that the average amount of all assets held by those in the highest-income group, with an average annual income of 16.68 million yen, was 81,61 million yen. Families in the lowest-income group, with an average annual income of 2.12 million yen, possessed 24.34 million yen in assets on average, making the differential in assets between the groups 440%. The asset differential between the rich and the poor was 600% in 1989, when the survey was started. The gap was 440% in 1994, and 410% in 1999, showing a tendency to narrow, but it widened in the latest survey for the first time. 17) With feeling of despair due to e-mail uproar, Minshuto unable to go on the offensive NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) March 28, 2006 The Diet approved yesterday the budget for fiscal 2007. The main opposition party Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) has, however, found it hard to recover from the e-mail fiasco. Minshuto is smothered in a strong sense of helplessness because the party failed to put an end to the e-mail issue even though the party had come up with its own draft proposals regarding decentralization and reform of the public servant system to counter the government's administrative reform promotion legislation. Citing administrative reform and medical system reform bills as important issues in the second half of the ongoing Diet session, party head Seiji Maehara told reporters, stressing that his party would "maintain a policy line of presenting counter proposals." Minshuto has formulated its own plans: one is a "decentralization vision" under which the state's responsibilities would be split into eight areas, including foreign policy and market monitoring; and the other is a public servant system reform plan calling for slashing the national public servants' personnel costs by more than 20% over three years. The party intends to adopt the proposals in a meeting of the "Next Cabinet" as early as March ¶29. It wants to make them as a pillar of its administrative counterproposals. Regarding the e-mail issue, however, it has been decided to summon the middleman, who provided the copy of a false e-mail to Minshuto lawmaker Hisayasu Nagata, to testify as a witness before a House of Representatives Committee on Discipline session on April 4. Many in the largest opposition party have called on lawmaker Nagata, who caused the uproar by bringing up the false e- mail issue at the Diet, to quit his Diet seat. Mizuho Fukushima, who heads the small opposition party Social Democratic Party, criticized Minshuto, saying, "It is regrettable that the largest opposition party has weakened its pursuit (of the government and the ruling coalition)." Lower House Disciplinary Committee confirms Diet testimony of Nishizawa TOKYO 00001598 011 OF 011 The Lower House Committee on Discipline reconfirmed yesterday that it would summon Takashi Nishizawa, who allegedly provided Nagata with the copy of the faked e-mail suggesting Livedoor Co. founder Takafumi Horie had transferred money to a son of Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Tsutomu Takebe, to testify before its session on April 4. Committee Chairman Tetsundo Iwakuni told reporters, "If he took Mr. Nagata for a ride to make him raise the e-mail at the Diet, his action would be an act of terrorism." With this regards, Nishizawa's attorney stated at a press conference yesterday, "I wonder testifying a private person at the Diet is appropriate." He stopped short of saying, "He will explain before too long" about the circumstance he provided the e- mail to Nagata. 18) Japan, US beef experts to meet today; Moves to resume imports likely to appear ASAHI (Page 11) (Excerpts) March 28, 2006 Experts of the Japanese and US governments will meet in Tokyo today and tomorrow to discuss ways to deal with the US beef import ban by Japan. Some kind of move to reinstate beef trade will likely appear during the meeting. A number of senior US government officials have made statements urging an early resumption of US beef imports since mid- March?prompted by the decision by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR),which was unveiled on the 13th. Beef bones, a material banned in Hong Kong as a mad cow disease risk, were found in a US beef shipment, but the Hong Kong SAR imposed an embargo only on beef from the leading meat packer that shipped the products in question. A Japanese agriculture ministry source pointed out, "Hong Kong's judgment that only the company that shipped the products in question should be subject to the import ban heightened US discontent with Tokyo, which is continuing a total import ban." It took two full years to lift the previous embargo, which was imposed in December 2003. Many government officials see that the reason why the embargo became protracted was that the Food Safety Commission, which has as members many experts who are skeptical about the US food safety control system, discussed conditions for resuming US beef imports. SCHIEFFER