TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - IRAN AND NORTH KOREA

UNCLAS TOKYO 001343 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 - IRAN AND NORTH KOREA ¶1. LEAD STORIES: Lead stories on Monday morning included the arrest of a senior Health Ministry official for "postal system abuse" involving a fabricated ministry document, as well as the landslide victory of the opposition-backed candidate in the Chiba mayoral election on Sunday. ¶2. "Dtente Slipping away following Ahmadinejad's Reelection" The top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri editorialized (6/14): "That Iranian President Ahmadinejad, who has taken a hard-line diplomatic approach, has been given an additional four-year mandate suggests that the possibility of rapprochement between Iran and the international community is slipping away. It has also dashed the international community's hopes for halting Iran's nuclear development." ¶3. "Iran Should Choose Dialogue with U.S." The conservative Sankei argued in an editorial (6/14): "The landslide victory of Ahmadinejad was unexpected. Judging from the unprecedented intensity of the election campaign as evidenced by a TV debate between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi, however, one could sense emerging calls for 'change' among Iranian people. President Ahmadinejad is strongly urged to change his diplomacy and choose dialogue." ¶4. "Debate between President Obama and Ahmadinejad" The liberal Mainichi asserted (6/14): "Dialogue between the U.S. and Iran would be conducive to changing the world by stabilizing the Middle East and settling the nuclear issue.... How about holding a TV debate between President Obama and Ahmadinejad? Even if their arguments differ, such a debate would help build mutual confidence in the long run." ¶5. "Japan Should Implement Necessary Measures in Cool-Headed Manner" On the UN Security Council's unanimous adoption of a new resolution on North Korea, the liberal Asahi claimed (6/14): "The goal of the resolution is to make North Korea abandon its nuclear and missile development programs. This goal needs to be achieved through coordinated international pressure while avoiding military confrontation. The most realistic path to that goal is enhanced unity and unrelenting efforts by concerned countries." ZUMWALT