Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08PARTO22804
2008-02-28 11:35:00
SECRET
US Delegation, Secretary
Cable title:  

(S) Secretary Rice's February 27, 2008 Meeting

Tags:  OVIP RICE CONDOLEEZZA PREL PARM MARR JA 
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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUCNAI #0004/01 0591135
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 281135Z FEB 08
FM USDEL SECRETARY ASIA
TO RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/USFJ IMMEDIATE
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL IMMEDIATE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
S E C R E T PARTO 022804 


(Note: the unique message record number (MRN) has been modified. The original MRN was 08 PARTO 000004, which duplicates a previous PARTO telegram number.)


E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2018
TAGS: OVIP RICE CONDOLEEZZA PREL PARM MARR JA
SUBJECT: (S) Secretary Rice's February 27, 2008 Meeting
with Japanese Defense Minister Ishiba

DOD FOR APSA SHIN/SEDNEY/HILL/BASALLA
JOINT STAFF FOR J-5
USFJ FOR J00/J01/J-5

(U) Classified by: Uzra Zeya, Deputy Executive
Secretary, S/ES, Department of State. Reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).

S E C R E T PARTO 022804


(Note: the unique message record number (MRN) has been modified. The original MRN was 08 PARTO 000004, which duplicates a previous PARTO telegram number.)


E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2018
TAGS: OVIP RICE CONDOLEEZZA PREL PARM MARR JA
SUBJECT: (S) Secretary Rice's February 27, 2008 Meeting
with Japanese Defense Minister Ishiba

DOD FOR APSA SHIN/SEDNEY/HILL/BASALLA
JOINT STAFF FOR J-5
USFJ FOR J00/J01/J-5

(U) Classified by: Uzra Zeya, Deputy Executive
Secretary, S/ES, Department of State. Reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (U) February 27, 2008; 3:15 p.m.; Tokyo, Japan.


2. (U) Participants:

United States
The Secretary
Amb. J. Thomas Schieffer
Lt Gen William Fraser III, Assistant to the Chairman, JCS
NSC Senior Director for East Asian Affairs Dennis Wilder
A/S Sean McCormack, PA
LTG Edward A. Rice, Jr., Commander, U.S. Forces Japan
Sangmin Lee (Embassy Notetaker)

JAPAN
Shigeru Ishiba, Minister of Defense
Kohei Masuda, Administrative Vice Minister of Defense
Nobushige Takamizawa, Director General, Defense Policy
Bureau
Hideshi Tokuchi, Director General, Operational Policy
Bureau
LTG Koji Shimohira, Vice Chief of Staff, Joint Staff
Masaru Tsuji, Director General for International Affairs
Kiyoshi Serizawa, Director, Japan-U.S. Defense
Cooperation Division
Ryo Matsumoto, Deputy Director, Japan-U.S. Defense
Cooperation Division (Notetaker)


3. (S) SUMMARY: In a February 27 meeting with the
Secretary, Japanese Defense Minister Ishiba reaffirmed
his commitment to implement U.S. Forces realignment,
stressing that Japan and the United States should begin
to discuss steps for strengthening deterrence at a level
commensurate with current bilateral disQssions on burden
reduction. The Secretary expressed deep regret for the
alleged February 10 rape of a young girl by a U.S. Marine
in Okinawa and urged the Japanese government to implement
realignment as agreed. The Secretary also reaffirmed the
strategic importance of the bilateral alliance and
stressed that the Six-Party process would not negatively
affect it. Ishiba and the Secretary praised the strong
bilateral cooperation on ballistic missile defense (BMD)
and acknowledged the difficulties of engaging Russia on
its negative view of U.S.-Japan BMD cooperation. END
SUMMARY.

-------------- ---

DPRI WILL PROCEED, NEED DISCUSSION ON DETERRENCE
-------------- ---


4. (C) Ishiba asserted that he was committed to
implementing alliance transformation and realignment of
U.S. Forces under the Defense Policy Review Initiative
(DPRI) according to the agreed timeline and
implementation plan. The two countries, however, needed
to have more dialogue on specific measures for


strengthening the U.S.-Japan Alliance's deterrence
capability since discussions on burden reduction have
outpaced those on deterrence. This was particularly
important in light of the fluid security environment in
Northeast Asia, Ishiba stressed.


5. (C) The Secretary thanked Ishiba for stating publicly
his commitment to Okinawa consolidation per the agreed
plan, noting that DPRI was a crucial element in
modernizing the Alliance. Both sides have already made
great efforts to strengthen the Alliance. It was,
therefore, important to continue to push forward on
realignment and discuss how this would augment our
deterrence capability.

-------------- --------------
SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE REGRETTABLE, VIS-A-VIS REALIGNMENT
-------------- --------------


6. (C) Ishiba said the alleged February 10 sexual
assault of a young girl by a U.S. Marine in Okinawa was
regrettable, particularly in light of the two countries'
realignment agenda. It was important for both
governments to respond to such incidents in a timely
manner and demonstrate sincerity in their approach to
resolving issues in Okinawa. In this regard, the
Japanese government greatly appreciated the recent visit
to Okinawa by Ambassador Schieffer and former USFJ
Commander LTG Wright, Ishiba added.


7. (C) The Secretary responded that the U.S. government
deeply regretted the incident, adding that she had stated
in her press interview earlier in the day that she
sympathized with the victim and her family.
Acknowledging the hard work of both governments in
responding to the incident -- including the visit to
Okinawa by the Ambassador and LTG Wright -- she also
expressed confidence that the bilateral task force on
incidents involving the U.S. military ought to be able to
improve mechanisms for preventing recurrences.

-------------- --------------
REFUELING OPS RESUME, PUSH FOR PERMANENT DISPATCH LAW
-------------- --------------


8. (C) Ishiba briefed the Secretary on the resumption of
Japanese refueling operations in the Indian Ocean in
support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). He said he
had explained to Diet members who opposed the passage of
the new anti-terror special measures law authorizing the
refueling operations that Japan would be singled out
among G-8 countries as the only one that did not
contribute to the War on Terrorism were it not for OEF.
He also noted the importance of passing permanent
legislation authorizing the overseas dispatch of Japanese
Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in light of current
restrictions on overseas deployment imposed by special
measures laws. Ishiba said he did not know when the
permanent dispatch legislation would be submitted to the
Diet, but would continue to push for its passage.

--------------
REAFFIRM IMPORTANCE OF U.S.-JAPAN ALLIANCE


--------------


9. (S) Acknowledging Ishiba's point on the evolving
security environment in Northeast Asia, the Secretary
reaffirmed the strategic importance of our Alliance.
Efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula through the
Six-Party process notwithstanding, U.S. security policy
remains anchored by our alliances with Japan and South
Korea. In this sense, the United States, Japan, and
South Korea had a unique opportunity as newly-elected
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak seemed intent on
strengthening the U.S.-ROK Alliance as well as South
Korea's relations with Japan and China. This was
important, as the three countries needed to examine how
the rise of China and the events unfolding in Russia
would impact our alliances, the Secretary underscored.

--------------
NEAPSM NOT TO SUPPLANT OR WEAKEN ALLIANCE
--------------


10. (S) The Secretary also assured Ishiba that the
Northeast Asia Peace and Security Mechanism (NEAPSM)
embodied in the September 19, 2005 Joint Statement would
not supplant or weaken our Alliance. The Six-Party
process presented a useful mechanism for the main
stakeholders in the region to cooperate on a common goal
-- the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The
idea is for the NEAPSM to continue cooperation on a range
of other issues, including counterterrorism,
nonproliferation, and humanitarian assistance and
disaster relief. Ishiba acknowledged the utility of the
Six-Party process, noting that he never imagined that the
New York Philharmonic Orchestra would perform in
Pyongyang.

-------------- --------------
BMD COOPERATION STRONG, DIFFICULT TO CONVINCE RUSSIA
-------------- --------------


11. (S) Ishiba highlighted the recent successful SM-3
interceptor test by the Japanese AEGIS destroyer Kongo,
thanking the United States for strong cooperation in BMD.
To make BMD cooperation more effective as a deterrent,
the United States and Japan should consider having
regional consultations similar to those with NATO.
Ishiba noted that he had discussed BMD issues with
Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov in
Moscow and Tokyo, who expressed reservations about U.S.-
Japan BMD cooperation.


12. (S) The Secretary also thanked Japan for continued
cooperation on BMD, adding that Russia, while skeptical
of the U.S.-Japan BMD cooperation and BMD programs in
Eastern Europe, would probably welcome a NATO-like
discussion. While Russia probably understood that
missile defense was more viable today as a nuclear
deterrent than during the Cold War because of the missile
threat now posed by states like North Korea and Iran, the
movement of interceptors to Poland and radars to the
Czech Republic remained problematic, the Secretary said.
RICE