EXTENSION OF JAPAN'S PARTICIPATION IN INDIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 003634

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USTR/MBEEMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL JA
SUBJECT: EXTENSION OF JAPAN'S PARTICIPATION IN INDIAN
MISSION STILL POSSIBLE

REF: TOKYO 3625

Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) In a meeting with the Ambassador on August 8,
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa did
not rule out the possibility that the DPJ might agree to the
continued support by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces
(JMSDF) of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in the Indian
Ocean. Ozawa insisted, however, that any Japanese role would
require clear and direct authorization by the UN.


2. (C) During the 45-minute meeting, which included a large
media presence, the Ambassador laid out arguments for Japan's
continued involvement in the Indian Ocean mission. In
response to Ozawa's assertion that Japan could only
participate in activities on which the international
community agreed, the Ambassador reminded Ozawa that the
Indian Ocean mission included nine nations. Ozawa then
declared that different countries chose different methods to
counter terrorism and chastised the United States for trying
to fight terrorism alone. The Ambassador responded that he
had come to see Ozawa to ask for Japan's continued
participation in a multi-nation operation. Ozawa further
claimed that US activities in Afghanistan had not been
authorized directly by the United Nations, but the Ambassador
produced a copy of UNSCR 1746 to demonstrate the explicit
authorization of OEF. Ozawa ended the meeting without
responding to the Ambassador's final point.


3. (C) Comment. Ozawa was playing to a domestic audience
rather than an international one. He took at least four
swipes at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in an
attempt to set himself and the DPJ apart from current LDP
policy. Ozawa's inability to respond to obvious points of
fact on UNSCR 1746 is likely to raise questions over the
DPJ's seriousness. Ozawa also appeared uncomfortable when
the Ambassador quoted from Ozawa's own book in which Ozawa
exhorted Japan to be more actively involved in international
activities. In addition, the absence of internal DPJ
coordination in setting up the meeting and the decision to
invite the press left the impression that the DPJ might not
have been fully prepared for the meeting. Nevertheless,
Ozawa will contend that there was no "express" authorization
by the UN for this particular action as a means of
extraditing himself from the contradiction in which he is
caught. We should continually reinforce the message that
UNSCR 1746 is the explicit UN authorization we need to
mobilize an international coalition.
SCHIEFFER