TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA'S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE,

UNCLAS TOKYO 002844 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 - PRESIDENT OBAMA'S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE, IRAQ, AND NORTH KOREA ¶1. LEAD STORIES: All Friday morning papers gave prominent front-page coverage to the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to President Obama in Oslo on Thursday. ¶2. "President Obama's Distress over 'War and Peace'" On a speech delivered by President Obama upon his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize, the conservative Sankei wrote from Washington (12/11): "At the beginning of his speech, President Obama touched upon a political philosophy theme concerning the 'difficult relationship between war and peace.' This reflects the distress of the U.S. leader, who by receiving the prize has been tasked with the role of 'agent of peace.' As the leader in command of the war on terrorism, President Obama declared that 'peace requires responsibility, and peace entails sacrifice.' He thus made clear his responsibility for implementing peace under U.S. leadership." ¶3. "President Torn between War and Non-Violence" A correspondent with the liberal Asahi reported from Oslo: "The address illustrated that President Obama is torn between the reality of the U.S. fighting two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the ideal of non-violence. He tried to address the gap between the international community, which has higher expectations for ideals that were set forth by the President on the issues of arms control and global warming, and the U.S. public, which reacted coolly to the peace prize that was awarded in the absence of diplomatic accomplishments." ¶4. "Strong Will and Security Called For" On a recent series of terrorist bombings in Baghdad, the liberal Tokyo Shimbun editorialized (12/11): "News about terrorist incidents spread across the Middle East instantly. Anxiety and distrust have begun emerging in Pakistan where a number of terrorist incidents have occurred recently. If an impression of shortcomings brought on by the U.S. military's withdrawal from urban areas becomes widespread, the situation will be adversely affected not just in Iraq but also in Afghanistan, where additional U.S. troops are set to be deployed. Now is the time for the Iraqi government and the U.S. military to step up their mutual coordination." ¶5. "North Korea Must Return to Six-Party Talks" An editorial in the liberal Asahi insisted (12/11): "What is important right now at a time when bilateral talks have just been resumed between the U.S. and North Korea is to prevent North Korea from taking selfish actions that will cause tensions to escalate. To that end, it is important to stabilize the current trend toward dialogue and have North Korea return to the Six-Party negotiating table. While the prospects for U.S.-DPRK dialogue remain uncertain, the U.S., which holds the key to North Korea's nuclear problem, and China, which chairs the Six-Party Talks, should continue to try to persuade [the DPRK to return to the multinational framework.]" ROOS