MEDIA REACTION Q MIDDLE EAST/NORTH KOREA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 003900

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 Q MIDDLE EAST/NORTH KOREA
- TOKYO


LEAD STORIES: Most Thursday morning papers front-paged
the planned submission by China and Russia of their
version of a UNSC draft resolution on North Korea's
missile launches.


1. "Japan Should Make Its Presence Felt in Middle East
Diplomacy" The business-oriented Nihon Keizai
editorialized (7/13): "Ahead of the upcoming G-8 summit,
Prime Minister Koizumi visited the Middle East and met
Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert. Koizumi's
visit to the region comes at a time of growing tension,
as Israel has continued to undertake military operations
in the Palestinian territories since late last month. It
is the first time in 11 years for a Japanese prime
minister to visit to Israel and the Palestinian
territories. We commend Koizumi for urging the two sides
to exercise self-restraint and trying to find an
opportunity to restore peace.


2. "This summit diplomacy could be quite significant if
it enables Japan to make its presence felt in the Middle
East.... The role that Japan should play first in the
Middle East peace process is trying to maintain balance
in the international reaction to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict and making clear Japan's position to both sides.
It is a matter of course for Japan to urge Palestinian
radicals to refrain from such provocative actions as
firing rockets into Israel and abducting Israeli
soldiers, measures they claim are 'defensive.'... Japan
is a major provider of aid for the Palestinians, and the
US and Israel have praised Tokyo's continued financial
and economic assistance for them."


3. "UNSC Resolution: Delay in Adoption Would Feed North
Korea's Arrogance" An editorial in the top-circulation,
moderate Yomiuri commented (7/13): "A further delay in
the UNSC's adoption of a resolution on the North Korean
missile launches will only feed Pyongyang's arrogance.
The international community must quickly take a firm
stance and show North Korea that it will not accept
missile launches conducted in defiance of global calls
for a suspension. Japan and seven other nations submitted
a draft resolution to the UNSC calling for sanctions on
the DPRK. A vote has been put off, though, while China,
which opposes the resolution, is trying to persuade North
Korea to return to the six-party talks.


4. "For the time being, Japan can only wait and see how
the Chinese diplomatic bid unfolds, but that time is not
without limit. Should the UNSC be unable to quickly take
unified action, North Korea will not take the
international community seriously and will step up
efforts to develop nuclear weapons and missiles. The
resolution submitted by Japan and other nations would
apply strong pressure on Pyongyang. It would obligate
North Korea not only to bring an immediate halt to the
development, testing, deployment, and proliferation of
missiles but also put a freeze on launches. It would also
be called upon to return to the six-party talks
unconditionally.... China, which is a permanent member of
the UNSC, offered a nonbinding chairman's statement as a
counterproposal. Beijing's draft neither recognizes the
North Korean missile launches as a 'threat' nor refers to
Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which provides the legal
basis for the imposition of sanctions. This would not
affect North Korea in the slightest."


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