JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 10/26/07

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 005003 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR E, P, EB, EAP/J, EAP/P, EAP/PD, PA; WHITE HOUSE/NSC/NEC; JUSTICE FOR STU CHEMTOB IN ANTI-TRUST DIVISION; TREASURY/OASIA/IMI/JAPAN; DEPT PASS USTR/PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; SECDEF FOR JCS-J-5/JAPAN, DASD/ISA/EAPR/JAPAN; DEPT PASS ELECTRONICALLY TO USDA FAS/ITP FOR SCHROETER; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR; CINCPAC FLT/PA/ COMNAVFORJAPAN/PA. E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 10/26/07 Index: North Korea problem: 1) In unusual move, US Embassy invites association of families of Japanese abducted by North Korea for meeting on abductions, US-DPRK issues (Mainichi) 2) US Ambassador to Japan Schieffer's personal letter to President Bush on North Korea issues leaked to Fox News (Sankei) 3) Japan transmits to North Korea new policy approach of willingness to provide assistance in stages based on progress on abductions, nuclear issue (Nikkei) 4) Foreign Minister Komura sees "progress" in North Korea abduction issue as return of more abductees (Asahi) 5) MOFA delegate to six-party talks Sasae stresses need to verify DPRK's denuclearization steps before taking name off list of states sponsoring terrorism (Asahi) 6) Foreign Minister Komura worried about new frictions with US once Japan halts MSDF refueling operations in Indian Ocean (Yomiuri) 7) Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura will preside over meeting of Futenma council (Yomiuri) Defense Ministry scandal: 8) Former Defense Minister Kyuma also wined and dined by scandal-ridden defense contractor last December (Tokyo Shimbun) 9) Yamada Yoko Corp. not punished for exorbitant billing of Defense Agency 6 years ago when former Vice Defense Minister Moriya was in charge (Asahi) Political developments: 10) Mainichi poll finds 44 PERCENT of public wanting the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) to win in the next Lower House election, five points higher than LDP (Mainichi) 11) Prime Minister Fukuda, DPJ President Ozawa square off in the Diet on Oct. 31 for a one-on-one debate (Sankei) 12) LDP, Komeito seriously alarmed about possibility rising of a "second tainted-blood" medical scandal involving the Health Ministry (Tokyo Shimbun) Articles: 1) US embassy holds unusual meeting with abductees' families MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full) October 26, 2007 US Embassy First Secretary Keith Jordan met yesterday with representatives of the families of the missing abductees and the National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea, a support organization. In the meeting, Jordan told them that the abduction issue is a matter between Japan and North Korea. The representatives are scheduled to meet this evening with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. Jordan invited them to hear before they met the prime minister what their requests to the Japanese government would be. The representatives mentioned conditions for delisting the North as a state sponsor of terrorism. It is unusual for the US Embassy to request a meeting with the families of the missing abductees. In yesterday's meeting, Jordan asked them what they considered as "progress" on the abduction issue, which is regarded as one of the TOKYO 00005003 002 OF 009 conditions to delist the North as a state sponsor of terrorism, and he urged them to provide him with a paper detailing their view so that he would be able to relay it to Washington. The representatives of the families of the missing abductees expressed their concern about Jordan's remarks. They took the remarks to mean that the US side had revealed for the first time that the delisting and the abductions are two separate issues. Meeting with the embassy officer were five family members, including Shigeru Yokota, 74, the representative of the association of the families of the missing abductees. Although Yokota and other members questioned what was specifically meant by nuclear disablement, one of the conditions for delisting North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, Jordan did not give a clear answer. When asked by a representative from the families of the missing abductees whether the delisting and abduction issue were separate issues, Jordan reportedly responded that the abduction cases are a bilateral issue, so Japan should discuss it from that viewpoint. Asked by Jordan about what they considered progress on the abduction issue, the abductee family side replied that the six-party talks should begin deliberations on the condition that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il would acknowledge the abduction issue (although he has said that the issue has been resolved),and that all abductees would be repatriated. Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura stated yesterday in a House of Councillors Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense session: "Even if several abductees are repatriated, the abduction issue will not be resolved. However, such would seem to be progress on the issue." 2) US ambassador to Japan raises a red flag about delisting North Korea as state sponsor of terrorism, giving direct advice to the president regarding conciliatory policy toward the North; Creates stir in US SANKEI (Page 1) (Full) October 26, 2007 Takashi Arimoto, Washington Views within the US government have now become split over the question of delisting North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. The reason is because US Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer sent an official telegram on Oct. 24 to President George W. Bush in which he urged the president not to delist North Korea and expressed his dissatisfaction with the stance of Assistant Secretary of State (for East Asian and Pacific Affairs) Christopher Hill, who is responsible for talks with North Korea. There was an observation that the Bush administration might delist North Korea possibly by the end of the year. But the "direct advice" of the ambassador, who is reportedly most close to the president, might result in a change in the US conciliatory trend toward North Korea. According to Fox TV, the ambassador has a strong interest in the abduction issue, as seen in his having visited the site from where Megumi Yokota, then 13, was abducted by North Korean agents. The ambassador seems to have expressed concern over the situation where the delisting is regarded as a done deal in the US government, despite the Japanese government's request. TOKYO 00005003 003 OF 009 There also seems to be frustration that he has not been kept informed properly as ambassador to Japan. In the cable, Schieffer reportedly expressed a sense of distrust, stating that although he asked Assistant Secretary Hill if he had promised delisting, he received no response. About the report, National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Gordon Johndroe commented to the Sankei Shimbun, "The president highly evaluates the ambassador's job performance." The ambassador, too, replied: "I have been in close contact with the president, and I have nothing to talk about it." Meanwhile, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice basically supports Hill, although she has declared, "We have no intention of advancing relations with North Korea at the expense of US-Japan relations." The US Congressional Research Service produced on Oct. 25 a report on North Korea concluding that the Bush administration, which previously maintained it would not comply with a request for normalizing relations with the DPRK unless there was progress on the human rights issue and other matters, now has defined the human rights issue and other matters as "issues to be settled after the nuclear issue." The change came after the six-party agreement in February on the North Korean nuclear issue. The report also singles out Assistant Secretary Hill as having taken such a posture. Mansfield Foundation Executive Director Gordon Flake, who is well versed in North Korean affairs, sounded an alarm that if North Korea were delisted, it would harm US-Japan relations. Flake indicated that in the event North Korea's suspected nuclear cooperation with Syria was taken seriously by Congress, there is a possibility that the US government will not delist North Korea. He also said that in the wake of the emergence of the nuclear proliferation issue, people around Vice President Cheney are becoming cautious about expediting talks with North Korea. Flake thinks matters ultimately will depend on President Bush's decision. There seems to be a possibility that the president's response will be affected by the view of Ambassador Schieffer, who according to a US diplomatic source is so close to the president that he can directly place a call to his bedroom, the both having grown up in Texas and having jointly run a Major League baseball club. Flake also pointed out the need for Japan to present an alternative strategy at the Japan-US summit in mid-November instead of just opposing the delisting. 3) Government to take new approach to break impasse in relations with North Korea NIKKEI (Top Play) (Excerpts) October 26, 2007 The government has decided to take a new approach to break the impasse in its relations with North Korea. While clarifying that Japan gives top priority to bringing abductee victims back to Japan, it will consider phasing out sanctions and providing aid in proportion to the level of progress on the abduction, nuclear, and missile issues. Setting the normalization of bilateral diplomatic TOKYO 00005003 004 OF 009 ties, including the settlement of past accounts, as its final goal, the government will also look into establishing a framework for both sides to discuss steps they should take and implement them. It aims to make arrangements for Pyongyang to find it easy to take a step forward to resolve the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea and urge it to compromise. The new policy reflects the stance of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who stresses the importance of promoting dialogue and pushing ahead with the six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing North Korea. The government has already informed Pyongyang of the basic outline of the new policy. The policy is likely to be discussed at a bilateral working-level meeting expected to take place in early November. Even so, it is uncertain what response Pyongyang will make. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il persists: "There are no other survivors than the five (who returned to Japan in 2002)." The government has so far called on North Korea to return the abductees, uncover details, and punish or hand over those involved in the abductions. While maintaining this principle, Japan will designate the swift return of all surviving abductees as the top priority, based on the prim minister's strong position that the abduction issue cannot be left unresolved. The government now judges that if Japan overly focuses on identifying those responsible and demanding an explanation of past conflicting statements, their return could be delayed. If North Korea continues to claim that all other abductees died, Japan will urge it to present evidence supporting the claim. Japan has set progress on the abduction issue as the condition for ending sanctions and providing aid. This condition will be kept in place. But the government will consider the possibility of indicating beforehand the steps it will take if Pyongyang shows a sincere attitude toward returning surviving abductees or resolving the missile problem. The "action-to-action" principle being adopted in the six-party talks will also be used in Japan-North Korea talks. In short, the government plans to prepare a roadmap for Japan-North Korea talks. In a meeting of the House of Councillors foreign and defense affairs committees yesterday, Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said: "We cannot say it is a solution to the issue even if some of the abductees return to Japan, but it may be seen as progress." The government keeps in mind (1) humanitarian aid to North Korea; (2) easing or lifting such economic sanctions as the ban on North Korean ships from entering Japanese ports and the embargo on all imports; and (3) energy aid in exchange for North Korea's disabling nuclear facilities. Japan will also maintain the principle of offering full-scale economic cooperation after bilateral diplomatic relations are normalized. 4) Foreign Minister Komura: If several abductees repatriated, we will regard that as progress in abduction issue ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) October 26, 2007 Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura stated yesterday in a House of Councillors Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee session: "Even if several (abductees) are repatriated, the abduction issue will not be TOKYO 00005003 005 OF 009 resolved. But such would seem to be an improvement in the issue." He indicated that the Japanese government would take it as progress in the abduction issue if some abductees were repatriated. He was answering a question by Shinkun Haku of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto). Asked about Komura's remarks by reporters, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura responded yesterday: "Since I don't understand the meaning of several -- whether it means some of the several dozen abductees or all the abductees, it is difficult to tell right now whether his statement was the government's policy." The government has refrained from mentioning specifics on improvement in the abduction issue. Kyoko Nakayama, special advisor to the prime minister on the abduction issue, said in an interview to the Asahi Shimbun last month that the repatriation of several abductees would not mean progress. 5) Foreign Ministry's Sasae stresses need for verifying denuclearization before delisting North Korea as state sponsor of terrorism ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) October 26, 2007 Takashi Horiuchi, Washington The Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Director General Kenichiro Sasae, now visiting the United States, met on Oct. 24 in Washington with White House National Security Council Senior Director for East Asian Affairs Dennis Wilder. According to those involved, Sasae said, "It is important to implement denuclearization and ensure progress on Japan-North Korea relations" in order to delist the North as a state sponsor of terrorism. He underscored that the strict verification of the process of denuclearization would be necessary, in addition to the abduction issue. The purpose of Sasae's assertion is to urge the US to delay removing North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. A senior Foreign Ministry official said: "The problem is what will be included in North Korea's declaration." He noted that whether the North includes uranium enrichment and nuclear programs, which are not specified in the six-party agreement, will become a material to determine whether that country will implement its agreement. 6) Foreign minister sees "new friction between Japan and the US" due to mountain of pending issues YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) October 26, 2007 Referring to Japan-US relations, Foreign Minister Komura during a meeting of the Upper House Diplomatic and Defense Affairs Committee yesterday noted, "New frictions seem to be developing. If, for instance, refueling operations in the Indian Ocean by the Maritime Self-Defense Force came to a halt and the new antiterrorism special measures bill fails to secure Diet passage, the US side would probably think, 'What is Japan doing as our ally? It is not even contributing to the international community.'" TOKYO 00005003 006 OF 009 He expressed concern in his remark about the possibility of bilateral relations becoming strained due to a number of pending issues, such as the refueling operations, the realignment of US forces in Japan, and planned cuts in Japan's host nation support for US forces stationed in Japan. Komura made that comment in response to a question asked by Ichita Yamamoto of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). 7) Chief cabinet secretary to preside over consultative council on Futenma issue YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) October 26, 2007 The government yesterday decided that the chief cabinet secretary will chair a consultative council between Okinawa Prefecture and related municipalities on the issue of relocating the US Marine Corp's Futenma Air Station to the coastal part of Camp Schwab. The defense minister and the state minister for Okinawa have thus far presided over the council, established in August last year. The appointment of the chief cabinet secretary means de facto upgrading of the panel. The aim is to enable the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) to take the lead in hard-going coordination of views with local governments. The government is now undertaking coordination with the possibility of holding the panel's fourth meeting in early November before Prime Minister Fukuda. The panel last held a meeting in January this year. 8) Former Yamada Corp. executive director treated former Defense Minister Kyuma to inaugural dinner last December TOKYO SHIMBUN (Top Play) (Full) October 26, 2007 It was learned from an informed source that former Defense Minister Akio Kyuma was entertained by a former executive director (69) of Yamada Yoko Corp. in Minato Ward, Tokyo, a trading house specializing in defense procurement, at a traditional Japanese restaurant in Akasaka, Tokyo. The source said that the former managing director paid the bill. Concerning Yamada Corp., it was already found that this former executive director treated former Administrative Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya (63) with free rounds of golf more than 200 times. The revelation proves that the collusive ties between Yamada Corp. and senior officials of then Defense Agency involved the two top officials. According to the same source, the executive invited Kyuma to a famous Japanese restaurant known for turtle dishes in early December last year. Several others were also present. This former executive director, established Nihon Mirise, a trading company specializing in the defense area, in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in September last year, after quitting Yamada Corp. in June the same year. He reportedly planned the dinner to celebrate Kyuma's assumption of the post of defense minister. The executive reportedly explained to Kyuma details on how he came to establish Nihon Mirise. He paid the bill for the dinner, which cost more than 100,000 yen. TOKYO 00005003 007 OF 009 Nihon Mirise was at that time engaging in a fierce business battle with the Yamada Corp. over the procurement of the engine for the next-generation transport aircraft codenamed CX by the Air Self-Defense Force. Kyuma took office as Defense Agency director general (defense minister since this January due to the upgrading of the agency to status of a ministry),but resigned over an impropriate remark about the atomic bombing of Japan having been "unavoidable," which drew fierce criticism. Responding to an interview by Tokyo Shimbun, Kyuma yesterday evening admitted to having attended the dinner. He said, "Although I do not recall the details, I certainly met the former executive director right after I took office as defense minister. It's no mistake that I did not pay the bill." The rules for state ministers, senior vice ministers and parliamentary secretaries, adopted at a cabinet meeting in 2001, stipulate that they must not engage in practices that could invite suspicion of the people, such as being entertained by industries with connections to the ministry or agency. The entertainment in this case could infringe on the rules, but Kyuma explained, "Nihon Mirise is not a related company. I would not have accepted the invitation, if I had been invited by the former executive director. Another person invited me to the dinner. When I went to the restaurant, the former executive director was there. He explained about the trouble between his company and Yamada Corp." 9) Yamada Yoko Corp. was not punished for overcharging Defense Agency on helicopter parts after explaining situation to Moriya ASAHI (Page 39) (Excerpt) October 26, 2007 Six years ago, Yamada Yoko Corp., a trading company specializing in defense procurement, requested an exorbitant amount of money for procuring helicopter parts for the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF). The then Defense Agency investigated the matter, according to an informed source. At that time, the Yamada Corp. reportedly explained the details of the situation to Takemasu Moriya, the former vice defense minister who was then director-general of the Defense Bureau. After that, Yamada Corp. was never penalized for overcharging, and according to an informed source in the ministry, "Voices of suspicion were raised about the way this was handled." 10) Mainichi opinion poll: 44 PERCENT want the DPJ to win in the next Lower House election, five points higher than the rate for the LDP (Mainichi) MAINICHI (Page 5) (Excerpt) October 26, 2007 In a nationwide poll conducted Oct. 20-21, the Mainichi Shimbun asked the question, "Which party to you think you would like to win in the next election of the House of Representatives?" In the replies, 44 PERCENT of the public picked the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto),while 39 PERCENT chose the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Another 11 PERCENT picked the "other party" category. This is the fourth time that the same question has been asked in the Mainichi poll: August 27-28; Sept. 12-13; and Sept. 25-26. The LDP received responses of 37 PERCENT , 39 PERCENT , 41 TOKYO 00005003 008 OF 009 PERCENT , and now 39 PERCENT in the surveys, while the DPJ scored 44 PERCENT , 43 PERCENT , 45 PERCENT , and 44 PERCENT . In all cases, the DPJ rated higher than the LDP. The gap between the two parties' ratings, which was 4 points in the two previous polls, has widened slightly to 5 points. Based on those who support or do not support the Fukuda Cabinet, the poll found 72 PERCENT of the non-supporters favoring a DPJ victory, but even among the supporters, 28 PERCENT wanted the DPJ to win. Based on party support, 88 PERCENT of the LDP supporters and want the LDP to win, and only 6 PERCENT want a DPJ victory. Among DPJ supporters, 95 PERCENT want the DPJ to win, and 3 PERCENT want the LDP to win. Among those supporting no party, the mutohaso, 30 PERCENT favored the LDP and 41 PERCENT the DPJ. The survey method: The poll was carried out over two days, Oct. 20-21, using a computerized random dialing system. The number of persons who responded nationwide totaled 1,064. 11) Fukuda-Ozawa debate set for Oct. 31 SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) October 26, 2007 The party heads of the largest parties in the two chambers of the divided Diet will have a one-on-one debate for the first time later this month. An agreement was reached yesterday for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) to hold a party-head debate on Oct. 31. LDP Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Tadamori Oshima talked with his DPJ counterpart Kenji Yamaoka on the phone yesterday and decided on the debate. Ozawa last had a one-on-one debated with former Prime Minister SHINZO ABE on May 30. It will be Ozawa's first debate with Fukuda. They are expected to debate how Japan should contribute to the international community in connection with new antiterrorism legislation to continue the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean and former Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya's suspected free golf with and wining and dining by a defense contractor. 12) LDP, New Komeito alarmed at hepatitis from tainted-blood issue TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Excerpts) October 26, 2007 It has been revealed that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) have left documents listing the names of patients who contracted hepatitis C after being administered the tainted blood product fibrinogen untouched for many years. On this problem, criticism is intensifying against the government. The government has announced measures to trace about 280,000 persons who were administered the tainted blood product and to urge them to undergo examinations or receive treatment. But the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is poised to thoroughly pursue the issue in the Diet, calling it "the second drug-induced AIDS" problem. The project team of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the New TOKYO 00005003 009 OF 009 Komeito tasked with working out measures to contain hepatitis held an emergency meeting yesterday. A number of participants lashed out at the ministry, one assailing: "It is strange that the ministry has not properly grasped how many persons were administered the fibrinogen." Another said: "The ministry should report by next week on how to track patients." Such harsh views from ruling party members reflect their desire to put a process in motion to resolve the hepatitis problem by taking steps swiftly before public distrust grows, as it did in the pension-record case. The project team of the ruling parties has already decided to include in next fiscal year's budget subsidies for high interferon treatment costs for hepatitis B and C patients. The team has also decided to draw out a basic bill designed to combat the disease, including measures to improve equipment for early detection of the disease and medical institutes, and to assist research and development. It aims to submit the bill to the current Diet session. Meanwhile, the DPJ is ready to drive the government into corner by grilling it over the hepatitis issue, besides a series of scandals involving the Defense Ministry. In a House of Representatives Health, Labor and Welfare Committee meeting, the DPJ demanded summoning responsible senior MHLW officials at that time to the Diet as unsworn witnesses and called for intensive deliberations on the issue. Additionally, it indicated invoking its administrative investigation right. SCHIEFFER