MEDIA REACTION Q MIDDLE EAST - TOKYO

UNCLAS TOKYO 001531 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 - TOKYO LEAD STORIES: Most Monday morning papers gave top play to gubernatorial and mayoral elections Sunday in 13 prefectures and 4 ordinance-designated major cities. Shintaro Ishihara was elected to a third term as governor of Tokyo. ¶1. "Political Action Should be Taken to Break Middle East Deadlock" The liberal Asahi editorialized (4/9): "... There have been moves to find a way out from the current fix in the Middle East arising from stalemated Palestinian peace efforts, the chaos in Lebanon and Iran's nuclear development. As one of the moves, Israel showed interest in an Arab proposal in late March to restart Palestinian peace efforts.... Another move was a visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Syria to meet Syrian leader Assad and seek his cooperation on security in Iraq. Iran's release of the 15 British troops it held captive in the Persian Gulf may have signified that Tehran is switching from its previous mode of confrontation. Nonetheless, there has been no marked progress or development on the path to Middle East peace. President Bush reacted negatively to Speaker Pelosi's visit to Syria, while terrorist acts are continuing, bringing an increase in the number of casualties in Iraq where the US has sent additional troops.... At the recent Arab Summit meeting, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, a close US ally, called the US military presence in Iraq an 'illegal occupation.' It is little wonder that the Saudi king made the remarks, regarding the US military deployment as the key to resolving the present Middle East crisis. The US military presence in Iraq not only heightens the tension in the whole Middle East but also causes anti-US feelings among people in the region. We wonder whether Iran's nuclear development is linked, in some respects, to its sense of alarm over the fact that the country is surrounded by Iraq and Afghanistan where the US is deploying its troops. The Al-Qaeda international terrorist group has become the symbol of Jihad (holy war) as a result of a rise in anti-US feelings in the Islamic world.... The US should clarify a timetable for its troop withdrawal and put it on the diplomatic table." SCHIEFFER