MEDIA REACTION - IRAQ - TOKYO

UNCLAS TOKYO 000538 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 - IRAQ - TOKYO LEAD STORIES: Most Tuesday morning papers front-paged reports from Washington concerning President Bush's unveiling of a 2.9 trillion USD budget for fiscal 2008, which includes military spending amounting to 555.9 billion USD, up about 10 percent from the previous year. ¶1. "The Use of Force Alone Cannot Stop Iraq's Sectarian Violence" The moderate Tokyo Shimbun editorialized (2/6): "...In the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) submitted to Congress, US intelligence agencies said that Iraq was in a 'state of civil war.' The question is how to get control of the chaos and open the way to Iraq's reconstruction. The Bush administration was about to dispatch more than 20,000 troops to Iraq and launch a major mop-up operation there without heeding the proposal from the Iraq Study Group that the US begin a gradual withdrawal and talk with Iraq's neighbors.... With the next election two years away, the president may envision a scenario in which the US sends additional troops to Iraq, restores order there, and then begins withdrawing its troops. Nevertheless, military operations alone can only intensify sectarian violence.... At one time in Iraq, people co-existed and married freely irrespective of sectarian differences. Sectarian violence and retaliatory attacks should be ended as soon as possible to bring those days back to Iraq." SCHIEFFER