MEDIA REACTION - US MIDTERM ELECTIONS/RUMSFELD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 006445 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 - US MIDTERM ELECTIONS/RUMSFELD RESIGNATION - TOKYO LEAD STORIES: All six Thursday morning papers front-paged the Democratic takeover of the US House of Representatives for the first time in 12 years in Tuesday's midterm elections. Most broadcasters gave top play to President Bush's press conference Wednesday announcing the resignation of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. ¶1. "Midterm Elections: Bush Administration Must Keep Diplomacy Moving" The top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri editorialized (11/9): "...The outcome of the US midterm elections is a severe setback for President Bush and his Republican administration.... Will the changed US political situation lead to a weakening of the Bush administration and affect its diplomatic policies? This is something Japan should monitor closely.... The Bush administration has said that it will not withdraw from Iraq until the country is stable, and it will likely continue to position its involvement in Iraq as its top foreign policy priority. What is extremely important for Japan is how the US deals with North Korea. If the US devotes all its attention to Iraq and loses interest in North Korea, it is possible that Pyongyang will take advantage of the situation and accelerate its nuclear program. It is critical to press North Korea to abandon its nuclear program through the six-party talks. Without active US involvement, the talks will go nowhere." ¶2. "Midterm Elections Expose Iraq Dilemma" An editorial in the business-oriented Nihon Keizai commented (11/9): "The party of the incumbent president ordinarily loses congressional seats in the midterm elections. In this sense, the outcome is not surprising, but the Democratic Party's takeover of the House for the first time in 12 years and its pickups in the Senate indicate that the US public has become dissatisfied with the Bush administration's handling of Iraq. The administration has yet to find a way out from the Iraq dilemma.... For America at present, Iraq is not a faraway country.... For ordinary Americans, it is an issue that relates to the lives of their sons, daughters, and neighbors.... It will not be possible to restore security by substantially increasing US troop levels in Iraq, as such a move would not win a political consensus in the US or the consent of the Iraqi government." ¶3. "Midterm Elections: President Bush Should Admit Error of Iraq War" The liberal Asahi editorialized (11/9): "...What is the purpose of the war in Iraq? President Bush was not able to give the American people a convincing answer to this basic question on which they harbor doubts. Given the outcome of the midterm elections, the president will be forced to make a decision on how to change his Iraq policy. The Democratic Party, which won control of the House, is expected to hold the Bush administration to task on its Iraq policy.... In addition, US presidents quickly lose power after their last midterm election and become a 'lame duck.' It will not be easy for the administration to regain its footing. The first thing President Bush should do is to frankly admit that the Iraq war was a mistake and change his policy." ¶4. "Rumsfeld's departure signals change in US Iraq policy" Quasi-governmental NHK-TV's Washington correspondent Kono commented (11/9): "One day after the Democratic Party's victory in the midterm elections, the embattled President Bush fired Defense Secretary Rumsfeld TOKYO 00006445 002 OF 002 to demonstrate to the American people that he was willing to review his Iraq policy. The security situation in Iraq has not improved, and the number of US fatalities is now well over 2,800. However, for the president, whose priority is the war on terrorism, a withdrawal from Iraq at this stage is not a practical choice. The president is likely to use the expected report from the Iraq Study Group, to which Rumsfeld's successor Robert Gates belongs, as a blueprint for a US exit strategy. It remains unknown, however, whether the president can lay the groundwork for an honorable withdrawal of US troops. " ¶5. "Rumsfeld's resignation unlikely to affect US-Japan ties" TBS-TV Washington correspondent Hino said (11/9): "The departure of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, who spearheaded US force transformation worldwide, is unlikely to have a major impact on US-Japan relations. However, it remains unknown what position his successor, former CIA Director Gates, will have on realignment. Rumsfeld, along with Vice President Cheney, was a hardliner on North Korea. His resignation could prompt a change in US policy toward Pyongyang, as the Democrats have repeatedly called for direct talks with the DPRK to resolve the current nuclear crisis." SCHIEFFER