Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TOKYO2559
2006-05-11 05:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:
MEDIA REACTION IRAN/US IMAGE ABROAD - TOKYO
how-toVZCZCXRO0693 PP RUEHFK DE RUEHKO #2559 1310502 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 110502Z MAY 06 FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1882 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA PRIORITY RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI//N541// PRIORITY RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA// PRIORITY RUHBANB/OKINAWA FLD OFC US FORCES JAPAN CP BUTLER JA PRIORITY RHMFIUU/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA PRIORITY INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 6124 RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 9325 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2177 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1009 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 8359 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0191 RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS TOKYO 002559
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM;
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA;
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION IRAN/US IMAGE ABROAD - TOKYO
LEAD STORIES: Most Thursday morning papers front-paged
Toyota Motor's report Wednesday that its sales for fiscal
2005 were 21.04 trillion yen, up 13.4 percent from the
previous year, making it the first Japanese manufacturer
to top 20 trillion yen in annual sales.
UNCLAS TOKYO 002559
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM;
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA;
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION IRAN/US IMAGE ABROAD - TOKYO
LEAD STORIES: Most Thursday morning papers front-paged
Toyota Motor's report Wednesday that its sales for fiscal
2005 were 21.04 trillion yen, up 13.4 percent from the
previous year, making it the first Japanese manufacturer
to top 20 trillion yen in annual sales.
1. "Stronger Diplomacy Needed to Avert Iran Crisis" The
business daily Nihon Keizai editorialized (5/11):
"International diplomacy is entering an important phase
following Iran's defiance of the UN Security Council
chairman's statement calling for Tehran to suspend
uranium enrichment activities. The international
community needs to join hands and exercise stronger
diplomacy to clamp down on Iran's nuclear development and
prevent new tensions from rising in the Middle East....
Discord among major nations over how to deal with the
situation must be avoided. It is imperative that they
stand together to make clear to Iran that its nuclear
programs will eventually redound to its detriment....
2. "Japan needs to realize that the Iranian nuclear
crisis presents not a choice between America and oil but
rather a critical task that must be accomplished to halt
nuclear proliferation.... Iranian President Ahmadinejad
sent a letter to President Bush earlier this week.
Although the USG has dismissed the letter as bringing
nothing new to the nuclear impasse, the fact that it was
sent was a new development, as Iran and the US currently
have no channels for direct dialogue. Within the US there
are growing calls for direct talks with Tehran.
Diplomatic moves to create new channels are worth
watching."
3. "Action More Important Than Public Diplomacy to
Improve US Image" An editorial in the liberal Mainichi
commented (5/11): "The Bush administration is suffering
from low support. The GAO recently published a report
criticizing DOS-initiated public diplomacy as 'lacking
strategy.' The grassroots diplomacy the US has conducted
in the Muslim world has not produced the results that
were expected of it. Public support for President Bush
has fallen to around 30 percent. If Mr. Bush continues to
be unpopular and loses his influence internationally, it
will become harder to rebuild Iraq and to resolve the
Iranian nuclear impasse.
4. "What should be done to win back support and trust?
Now that the GAO report has been published, we hope that
the Bush administration will give serious thought to this
question, as doing would also serve the interests of US
allies, including Japan.... Following 9/11, the Bush
administration tapped former advertising executive
Charlotte Beers to be under secretary of state for public
diplomacy and public affairs. Following Beers'
resignation in 2003, the administration named Karen
Hughes, a close aide to the president, to the position.
Despite this, there are few signs that US public
diplomacy has improved."
SCHIEFFER
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM;
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA;
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION IRAN/US IMAGE ABROAD - TOKYO
LEAD STORIES: Most Thursday morning papers front-paged
Toyota Motor's report Wednesday that its sales for fiscal
2005 were 21.04 trillion yen, up 13.4 percent from the
previous year, making it the first Japanese manufacturer
to top 20 trillion yen in annual sales.
1. "Stronger Diplomacy Needed to Avert Iran Crisis" The
business daily Nihon Keizai editorialized (5/11):
"International diplomacy is entering an important phase
following Iran's defiance of the UN Security Council
chairman's statement calling for Tehran to suspend
uranium enrichment activities. The international
community needs to join hands and exercise stronger
diplomacy to clamp down on Iran's nuclear development and
prevent new tensions from rising in the Middle East....
Discord among major nations over how to deal with the
situation must be avoided. It is imperative that they
stand together to make clear to Iran that its nuclear
programs will eventually redound to its detriment....
2. "Japan needs to realize that the Iranian nuclear
crisis presents not a choice between America and oil but
rather a critical task that must be accomplished to halt
nuclear proliferation.... Iranian President Ahmadinejad
sent a letter to President Bush earlier this week.
Although the USG has dismissed the letter as bringing
nothing new to the nuclear impasse, the fact that it was
sent was a new development, as Iran and the US currently
have no channels for direct dialogue. Within the US there
are growing calls for direct talks with Tehran.
Diplomatic moves to create new channels are worth
watching."
3. "Action More Important Than Public Diplomacy to
Improve US Image" An editorial in the liberal Mainichi
commented (5/11): "The Bush administration is suffering
from low support. The GAO recently published a report
criticizing DOS-initiated public diplomacy as 'lacking
strategy.' The grassroots diplomacy the US has conducted
in the Muslim world has not produced the results that
were expected of it. Public support for President Bush
has fallen to around 30 percent. If Mr. Bush continues to
be unpopular and loses his influence internationally, it
will become harder to rebuild Iraq and to resolve the
Iranian nuclear impasse.
4. "What should be done to win back support and trust?
Now that the GAO report has been published, we hope that
the Bush administration will give serious thought to this
question, as doing would also serve the interests of US
allies, including Japan.... Following 9/11, the Bush
administration tapped former advertising executive
Charlotte Beers to be under secretary of state for public
diplomacy and public affairs. Following Beers'
resignation in 2003, the administration named Karen
Hughes, a close aide to the president, to the position.
Despite this, there are few signs that US public
diplomacy has improved."
SCHIEFFER