Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TOKYO5072
2007-11-01 08:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:
HATOYAMA APOLOGIZES FOR LINKING HIMSELF TO AL-QAIDA
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHKO #5072 3050830 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 010830Z NOV 07 FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9130 INFO RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFISS/USFJ PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 005072
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2017
TAGS: PGOV PTER JA
SUBJECT: HATOYAMA APOLOGIZES FOR LINKING HIMSELF TO AL-QAIDA
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 005072
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2017
TAGS: PGOV PTER JA
SUBJECT: HATOYAMA APOLOGIZES FOR LINKING HIMSELF TO AL-QAIDA
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).
1. (C) Summary. Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama publicly
retracted his claim of having a friend who is an al-Qaida
member and told reporters he in fact did not have prior
knowledge of the October 2002 Bali bombings. Hatoyama
explained that a "friend of a friend" is a member of al-Qaida
- whom he does not actually know -- and stated that he made
the remarks to justify the need to tighten Japanese
immigration controls. Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura
publicly rebuked Hatoyama, but stopped short of taking any
more serious action. This gaffe tracks with Hatoyama's
reputation of being prone to careless and poorly considered
public statements. End Summary.
2.(U) Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama, after being publicly
chastised by Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura,
apologized on October 30 for making a statement indirectly
linking himself to an al-Qaida terrorist involved in the
October 2002 Bali bombings. During a speech at the Foreign
Correspondent's Club of Japan on October 29, Hatoyama, in a
bid to justify Japan's new immigration policy of
fingerprinting foreigners, stated that he had "a friend" who
was a member of al-Qaida and had entered Japan using fake
passports. He also said that he had been advised by a friend
against visiting Bali before the bombing because it was being
targeted for an attack. He retracted his comments about
receiving advance warning of the Bali terrorist attack at a
news conference the same day, stating that it was a friend
who had been given advance warning about the pending attack.
Hatoyama explained that it was the "friend of a friend" who
was a member of al-Qaida and said that his friend told him
about it three or four months after the bombing. He noted
that he had not met the person claiming to be an al-Qaida
member, and did not know about the specific plans for the
Bali bombing before it took place.
3. (U) Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura chastised
Hatoyama for claiming to be friends with an al-Qaida member
and told the press "It is very regrettable that the remark
gave the wrong impression that Japan's Justice Minister knows
such terrorists." He added that it was a careless remark and
said he discussed the matter with Hatoyama before the Cabinet
meeting on October 30. After being rebuked by Machimura,
Hatoyama apologized to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda for
"causing various concerns," but later defended his initial
remarks, and reiterated that a friend had indeed told him
that a suspected al-Qaida member had entered Japan multiple
times using false passports, and said Japanese immigration
officials were unaware of this. Hatoyama told reporters he
made the al-Qaida statement to justify the need for
tightening Japanese immigration controls.
Comment
--------------
4. (C) On November 20 Japan will begin collecting biometric
data, including fingerprints from foreigners aged 16 and over
when they enter Japan, as part of plans tighten security at
points of entry. Hatoyama -- who has a well-earned
reputation for gaffes -- was delivering the speech to garner
support for Japan's new immigration control system. On the
day of the speech, Hatoyama also expressed opposition to the
pro-immigration stance of his predecessor Jinen Nagase, who
pushed for using foreign workers to make up for labor
shortfalls due to Japan's aging population and declining
birth rate.
5. (C) Hatoyama further brought trouble down on himself at
the October 31 House of Representatives Committee on Judicial
Affairs meeting, when he said he used to be "wined and dined"
by the United States Department of Defense every month when
he served as private secretary to former prime Minister
Kakuei Tanaka, according to the press. He made the comment
during a discussion on Japan's intelligence gathering, and
later stated that "what he meant to say was that the Pentagon
spends money on intelligence gathering and Japan should also
devote substantial resources for diplomacy and defense."
SCHIEFFER
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2017
TAGS: PGOV PTER JA
SUBJECT: HATOYAMA APOLOGIZES FOR LINKING HIMSELF TO AL-QAIDA
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).
1. (C) Summary. Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama publicly
retracted his claim of having a friend who is an al-Qaida
member and told reporters he in fact did not have prior
knowledge of the October 2002 Bali bombings. Hatoyama
explained that a "friend of a friend" is a member of al-Qaida
- whom he does not actually know -- and stated that he made
the remarks to justify the need to tighten Japanese
immigration controls. Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura
publicly rebuked Hatoyama, but stopped short of taking any
more serious action. This gaffe tracks with Hatoyama's
reputation of being prone to careless and poorly considered
public statements. End Summary.
2.(U) Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama, after being publicly
chastised by Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura,
apologized on October 30 for making a statement indirectly
linking himself to an al-Qaida terrorist involved in the
October 2002 Bali bombings. During a speech at the Foreign
Correspondent's Club of Japan on October 29, Hatoyama, in a
bid to justify Japan's new immigration policy of
fingerprinting foreigners, stated that he had "a friend" who
was a member of al-Qaida and had entered Japan using fake
passports. He also said that he had been advised by a friend
against visiting Bali before the bombing because it was being
targeted for an attack. He retracted his comments about
receiving advance warning of the Bali terrorist attack at a
news conference the same day, stating that it was a friend
who had been given advance warning about the pending attack.
Hatoyama explained that it was the "friend of a friend" who
was a member of al-Qaida and said that his friend told him
about it three or four months after the bombing. He noted
that he had not met the person claiming to be an al-Qaida
member, and did not know about the specific plans for the
Bali bombing before it took place.
3. (U) Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura chastised
Hatoyama for claiming to be friends with an al-Qaida member
and told the press "It is very regrettable that the remark
gave the wrong impression that Japan's Justice Minister knows
such terrorists." He added that it was a careless remark and
said he discussed the matter with Hatoyama before the Cabinet
meeting on October 30. After being rebuked by Machimura,
Hatoyama apologized to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda for
"causing various concerns," but later defended his initial
remarks, and reiterated that a friend had indeed told him
that a suspected al-Qaida member had entered Japan multiple
times using false passports, and said Japanese immigration
officials were unaware of this. Hatoyama told reporters he
made the al-Qaida statement to justify the need for
tightening Japanese immigration controls.
Comment
--------------
4. (C) On November 20 Japan will begin collecting biometric
data, including fingerprints from foreigners aged 16 and over
when they enter Japan, as part of plans tighten security at
points of entry. Hatoyama -- who has a well-earned
reputation for gaffes -- was delivering the speech to garner
support for Japan's new immigration control system. On the
day of the speech, Hatoyama also expressed opposition to the
pro-immigration stance of his predecessor Jinen Nagase, who
pushed for using foreign workers to make up for labor
shortfalls due to Japan's aging population and declining
birth rate.
5. (C) Hatoyama further brought trouble down on himself at
the October 31 House of Representatives Committee on Judicial
Affairs meeting, when he said he used to be "wined and dined"
by the United States Department of Defense every month when
he served as private secretary to former prime Minister
Kakuei Tanaka, according to the press. He made the comment
during a discussion on Japan's intelligence gathering, and
later stated that "what he meant to say was that the Pentagon
spends money on intelligence gathering and Japan should also
devote substantial resources for diplomacy and defense."
SCHIEFFER