FEB 23 TERRORIST INCIDENTS IN JAPAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 03087 E.O.12356: DECL:OADR TAGS: MARR PTER JA SUBJECT: FEB 23 TERRORIST INCIDENTS IN JAPAN ¶1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT. ¶2. EMBASSY IS AWARE OF AT LEAST THREE TERRORIST INCIDENTS WHICH HAVE OCCURRED IN THE GREATER TOKYO AREA MORNING OF FEBRUARY 23. ONE INCIDENT WAS DIRECTED AGAINST A U.S. NAVY HOUSING FACILITY IN YOKOHAMA. ¶3. COMNAVFORJAPAN NOTIFIED EMBASSY THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 0615 FEBRUARY 23 THERE WAS A MAKESHIFT MORTAR ATTACK DIRECTED AT THE U.S. NAVY NEGISHI HOUSING COMPOUND IN YOKOHAMA. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. INITIAL REPORTS INDICATED THREE PROJECTILES IMPACTED INSIDE THE FACILITY. THE NAVY IS REPORTING FURTHER DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT IN SEPARATE CHANNELS. ¶4. THE OTHER TWO INCIDENTS OF WHICH WE ARE AWARE OCCURED AT THE JAPAN AIR SELF DEFENSE FORCE BASE AT FUCHU AND AT NARITA AIRPORT. INFORMATION IS SKETCHY IN BOTH INCIDENTS, THOUGH THE NARITA INCIDENT ALSO APPARENTLY INVOLVED A PROJECTILE WHICH IMPACTED ON THE TARMAC. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR INJURY IN EITHER INCIDENT. ¶5. COMMENT: MOTIVE AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ATTACKS REMAINS UNCLEAR, ALTHOUGH THE INCIDENTS ARE SIMILAR TO PAST ATTACKS BY ULTRA-LEFT RADICALS, PARTICULARLY CHUKAKUHA.. WHILE A CONNECTION WITH THE GULF WAR CANNOT BE RULED OUT, IT IS MORE LIKELY THE ATTACKS WERE TIMED TO COINCIDE WITH THE FEBRUARY 23 INVESTITURE OF THE CROWN PRINCE AS THE SUCCESSOR TO THE THRONE. END COMMENT. ARMACOST