Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TOKYO1083
2009-05-13 04:11:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:
TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - SRI LANKA UNREST AND REPLACEMENT OF
how-toVZCZCXRO2830 PP RUEHFK DE RUEHKO #1083 1330411 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 130411Z MAY 09 FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2904 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA PRIORITY RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI//N541// PRIORITY RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA// PRIORITY RUHBANB/OKINAWA FLD OFC US FORCES JAPAN CP BUTLER JA PRIORITY RHMFIUU/USFJ PRIORITY INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 3949 RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 7751 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9225 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2844 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 5243 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 5012 RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS TOKYO 001083
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: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - SRI LANKA UNREST AND REPLACEMENT OF
TOP U.S. COMMANDER IN AFGHANISTAN
UNCLAS TOKYO 001083
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: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - SRI LANKA UNREST AND REPLACEMENT OF
TOP U.S. COMMANDER IN AFGHANISTAN
¶1. LEAD STORIES: Top stories on Wednesday morning included the
upcoming DPJ presidential election on Saturday, as well as
yesterday's summit between Prime Minister Aso and Russian Premier
Putin.
¶2. "Humanitarian Crisis in Sri Lanka" On the civil war in Sri Lanka,
the liberal Asahi editorialized (4/13): "It is clear that the [human
shield] tactics used by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) are unacceptable from a humanitarian standpoint. The rebels
must immediately stop their detention of local residents and release
all of them. The Sri Lankan government should also halt its military
operations and instead take measures to evacuate the residents. The
international community will direct its criticism toward the
government forces if they go ahead with the operation, which might
result in a large number of causalities. The international community
must not overlook this humanitarian crisis. It should be reminded of
the hard lesson learned when its failure to correctly assess the
situation ended up producing a large number of casualties in
conflicts in Rwanda and Sudan."
¶3. "Top Commander for Afghan Operation Ousted" On Defense Secretary
Gates' decision to remove the top U.S. military commander from
Afghanistan, the top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri wrote (5/13): "In
appointing Gen. McChrystal as the new commander, Gates referred to
the 'necessity of fresh ideas and eyes' for the stabilization of
Afghanistan. This statement exposed mounting frustration on the part
of the Obama administration at the lack of improvement in the Afghan
situation.... Gen. McChrystal is an anti-terror operation expert who
successfully carried out an operation to kill a senior al-Qaeda
official in Iraq. The Obama administration is poised to turn the
situation in Afghanistan around by undertaking bold
counter-terrorism operations as seen in the Iraqi theater."
ZUMWALT