MEDIA REACTION Q IRAQ - TOKYO

UNCLAS TOKYO 007185 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 IRAQ - TOKYO LEAD STORIES: Friday morning's Asahi front-paged a GOJ plan to conclude a General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with the U.S. ¶1. "Prudence Needed in Final Approval of Saddam's Execution" The moderate Tokyo Shimbun editorialized (12/29): "The death sentence for former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has been finalized. Despite this, if Saddam's execution is carried out hurriedly, it will intensify sectarian strife, which has already left Iraq in a state of civil war. Prudence is needed in Iraq's final judgment of Saddam's execution so as not to add fuel to the chaos which grips the nation.... Under current Iraqi rules, Saddam is to be executed within 30 days after the Iraqi High Appeals Court upheld his death sentence. It is natural that the former dictator should be tried and sentenced for the crimes he committed while he was in power. But IraqQs courts were established with capital punishment restored under the US military administration. Given the fact that Iraq's trial of Saddam Hussein received full U.S. support, we cannot help but get the impression that Saddam's death sentence was inevitable from the beginning. The UN and international human rights groups are skeptical about the fairness of the Saddam trial, which came to an end only 14 months after the initial hearing.... While the Iraqi president and vice president need to sign off on Saddam's execution, President Talabani is said to be less than supportive of the execution." DONOVAN