AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH ABDUCTEES' FAMILIES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002882

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/16/2018
TAGS: PREL PHUM KN JA
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH ABDUCTEES' FAMILIES

Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer per 1.4 (b/d)


1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador met October 16 with two
prominent representatives of the abductees' family
association -- Chairman Shigeo Iizuka and Shigeru Yokota (the
father of Megumi Yokota, the best known abductee) -- to
discuss the recent delisting of the DPRK as a state sponsor
of terror. Hearing the Ambassador's explanation that
delisting was necessary to convene the Six Parties and get a
final, written verification regime, Iizuka and Yokota
expressed their understanding of the decision. "I agree that
it was the right decision" to approach denuclearization and
delisting "from the big picture," Yokota said. Iizuka added
that although many in Japan consider the delisting decision a
"slap in the face," he would like to "deliver the right
message to the Japanese public." End Summary.


2. (C) The Ambassador met October 16 with Shigeo Iizuka,
Chairman of the Association of Families of Victims of North
Korean Abductions and Shigeru Yokota, former Chairman of the
Association, to discuss the recent U.S. delisting of North
Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. Recalling their
meeting in July, the Ambassador noted that at that time, the
President had given notice that he was prepared to lift the
DPRK's terror designation, provided a satisfactory
verification regime could be put in place. Under the terms
of U.S. law, the President is required to give this notice,
and the Congress has 45 days to raise any objections.
Forty-five days passed without objection from Congress, but
the President did not delist North Korea because he did not
believe that the North Koreans had given enough assurances
that they would allow the necessary inspections to occur, the
Ambassador explained.


3. (C) In fact, because the North Koreans did not agree to
our verification-related requests, the President did not
remove the DPRK from the terrorism list, the Ambassador
continued. Subsequently, the North Koreans indicated they
might be prepared to negotiate verification terms, and the
product of these negotiations was an oral agreement that
indicated that the North was ready to respond to all of our
verification demands. That said, an oral agreement is not
enough for the United States, so we agreed to convene the Six
Parties in Beijing to put in writing what the North Koreans
orally assured us. At the next round of Six Party
discussions, the participant countries, including Japan, will
be able to voice their opinions to ensure that the final,
written document reflects the oral agreement we reached with
the DPRK, the Ambassador said.


4. (C) With this oral agreement, we were presented with the
opportunity to move forward the Six Party process, including
allowing inspectors from the participant countries to enter
the DPRK to carry out verification activities, the Ambassador
explained. Essentially, we had to ask whether we were
prepared to delist North Korea in order to allow the Six
Parties to convene to ensure that the oral agreement is
accurately reflected in the final, written verification
document. If we had refused to delist North Korea, our
conclusion was that the Six Party Talks would have come to an
end. While some in Japan, including the abductees' family
members, may not agree, we felt that this was our best chance
to keep the process going, get something in writing and
continue to push on the abductions issue. Otherwise, with
the collapse of the Six Party Talks, progress on both
denuclearization and abductions would have ceased, the
Ambassador stressed.


5. (C) As the President told Prime Minister Aso, and as
contained in statements released by the White House and State
Department, the United States will not forget the abductions
issue and we will continue to press the DPRK at every
opportunity to resolve this matter, the Ambassador said. The
Ambassador added that the President had specifically asked
him to ensure that the families, Japanese people and Japanese
government understand that this is an issue that we consider
very important and that we will keep pushing forward.


6. (C) As an abductee family member, if one looks at
delisting in a vacuum, then it is very disheartening and
deeply regrettable, Iizuka said. But the family members and
other Japanese have high expectations regarding the
verification regime and hope that the United States and
others establish strict verification measures. For the

TOKYO 00002882 002 OF 002


Japanese, the three key issues at hand are nuclear
proliferation, missiles and abductions, and there has been no
change in the Japanese Government's position on these. The
family members understand that the President will never
forget the abductions issue. They also understand that the
North's nuclear capabilities are a threat to Japan, so the
Six Party framework must ensure a strict verification
program, Iizuka said.


7. (C) Thanks to the Ambassador's explanation, "we understand
why President Bush delisted North Korea," Iizuka continued.
The family members understand that the United States has
consistently pressed the DPRK on the abductions issue, and
they ask that the United States continue to use every
opportunity to urge the North Koreans to resolve this matter.
The Ambassador offered his assurances that the United States
will continue to do everything it can to press the North
Koreans on this.


8. (C) Yokota expressed his understanding that, without
delisting, there was a chance that both the denuclearization
and abductions discussions would have failed. "I agree that
it was the right decision to approach these issues from the
big picture," he said. However, the North Koreans are not
trustworthy and do not keep promises. Yokota said that he
hopes that the United States works hard at disablement and,
if it succeeds, "then we will know that the United States
made the right decision." The Ambassador said that he shares
Yokota's skepticism about the North Koreans, which is why we
need to see the verification regime in writing and
subsequently carried out. In response to Yokota's concern
that delisting the North will lead to many benefits, the
Ambassador noted that ongoing sanctions will continue to make
it difficult for the DPRK to operate as a normal state in the
international system. Although they have been delisted,
their position with regard to international financial
institutions remains the same, the Ambassador said.


9. (C) Iizuka said that public opinion and the media consider
delisting to be a bad idea and a "slap in the face," and that
the United States ignored Japan's interests. But, speaking
on behalf of the Families Association, Iizuka said he had
listened to what the Ambassador had said and "would like to
deliver the right message to the general public."
SCHIEFFER