MEDIA REACTION - STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS -

UNCLAS TOKYO 000347 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 - STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS - TOKYO LEAD STORIES: Thursday morning's Asahi and Mainichi front- paged Japan's plan to run for a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC) in 2008. According to the dailies, the plan follows a telephone conversation Wednesday between Prime Minister Abe and Mongolian President Enkhbayar, who proposed that Japan run in the election instead of Mongolia, which has decided to withdraw its candidacy for nonpermanent membership. ¶1. "US Burden in Iraq Casts Shadow on its DPRK Policy" The top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri editorialized (1/25): "The burden of Iraq rests heavily on the shoulders of President Bush, whose remaining term in office is about two years. The question is what impact America's Iraq policy will have on other vital diplomatic issues, including North Korea, which is linked directly to the security of Japan. In his State of the Union Address, Bush called for support for his new Iraq policy centering on the dispatch of an additional US 21,000 troops.... It is certain that Iraq will become a breeding ground for terrorism by international terrorist organizations and armed insurgents should the US military withdraw.... The US is responsible for preventing the situation from worsening.... North Korea moved forward with its development of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons at a time when the US was bogged down in Iraq.... Recently, the US has softened its stance toward North Korea by holding bilateral talks, something it had previously rejected. The US should not make an easy compromise and accept a nuclear North Korea as a fait accompli." ¶2. "Did State of the Union Address Reflect Iraq Fatigue?" An editorial in the business-oriented Nihon Keizai commented (1/25): "President Bush's State of the Union Address sounded a little different from the one he delivered last year. His previous speeches, including the one in 2002 that highlighted an 'Axis of Evil,' were essentially wartime addresses. Though this year's speech was similar, the president also set aside time to speak about the economy and other domestic issues, a move indicating his desire to reunite an American society divided by the Iraq war. Did this reflect 'Iraq fatigue'?" ¶3. "President Bush's Isolation Deepening" The liberal Asahi wrote (1/25): "In his State of the Union Address on Tuesday, President Bush again sought understanding for his new Iraq policy with his call to 'give it time to work.' Though most lawmakers on both sides of the aisle remained silent, they gave him a standing ovation when he called for support for US troops on the frontline, highlighting the isolation of the commander-in-chief. At a time when US war expenditures are expected to rise, it hard to believe that the president's promise to balance the budget in five years will be realized." SCHIEFFER