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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 005529 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR E, P, EB, EAP/J, EAP/P, EAP/PD, PA; 
WHITE HOUSE/NSC/NEC; JUSTICE FOR STU CHEMTOB IN ANTI-TRUST DIVISION; 
TREASURY/OASIA/IMI/JAPAN; DEPT PASS USTR/PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; 
SECDEF FOR JCS-J-5/JAPAN, 
DASD/ISA/EAPR/JAPAN; DEPT PASS ELECTRONICALLY TO USDA 
FAS/ITP FOR SCHROETER; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR; 
CINCPAC FLT/PA/ COMNAVFORJAPAN/PA. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA
 
SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 09/26/06 
 
 
Index: 
1) Top headlines 
 
2) Editorials 
 
3) Prime Minister Koizumi's final daily schedule 
 
4) Prime Minister Koizumi gives final press conference 
 
5) Japan Business Federation gives Koizumi reforms an "A" evaluation 
in final report card 
 
6) LDP President Shinzo Abe launches new administration today as 
prime minister 
 
7) Abe to establish an assistant for public affairs 
 
8) Deputy chief cabinet secretary will come from the private sector 
 
 
9) Abe selects four to serve as his prime ministerial administrative 
secretaries 
 
SIPDIS 
 
10) LDP-Komeito coalition sealed but statement avoids mention of 
Constitution, secular war memorial 
 
11) Minshuto convention reelects Ichiro Ozawa as head, keeps main 
lineup 
 
12) Ozawa's hospitalization though brief raises serious questions 
about his health condition and ability to lead party 
 
13) Japan-China vice foreign ministerial talks continue to find way 
to restart summit meetings 
 
14) China has attached as condition for summit meetings with Abe 
that he must promise to stay away from Yasukuni 
 
15) Japanese police to reopen case of 1973 abduction of Kim Dae Jung 
by KCIA from Tokyo hotel 
 
16) GSDF to jointly train in Niigata with US troops who just served 
in Iraq 
 
Articles: 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: Yomiuri: Tokyo Shimbun: 
Fukushima governor's brother, others arrested in connection with bid 
rigging 
 
Mainichi: 
Abe to form cabinet today; Posts to deal with abductions and second 
chances to be set up; Aso to be retained in cabinet 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
Japan, US, other countries agree on "first to file" rule on patent 
application 
 
Sankei: 
Kidnapping of Kim Dae Jung to be reinvestigated 
 
 
TOKYO 00005529  002 OF 010 
 
 
Akahata: 
JCP Chairman Shii reports on visits to South Korea and Pakistan; 
Exchanges with mutual understanding 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1)Can Minshuto rally anti-LDP forces? 
(2)Agreement with the Philippines is first step to opening the labor 
market 
 
Mainichi: 
(1)Tokyo High Court's request is good opportunity for conducting 
speedy trials 
(2)California's global warming lawsuit roiling automakers 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1)New LDP President Abe picks executive lineup with eye on next 
Upper House election 
(2)No policy debate seen in Minshuto convention 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
(1)Confidence in IP telephony needed to build next-generation 
network 
(2)Unusual relaunch of Ozawa-led Minshuto 
 
Sankei: 
(1)Three LDP executives: Hopes for Abe to substantiate his political 
identity 
(2)New Minshuto leadership: Deepen debate based on principles 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1)How will Abe-led LDP fight the bureaucracy? 
(2)How will Ozawa-led Minshuto face off with new LDP? 
 
Akahata: 
Revised Equal Employment Law: Make it effective 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, September 25 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2)  (Full) 
September 26, 2006 
 
10:32: 
Left Tokyo Prince Hotel Park Tower, where he is staying 
10:50: 
Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Futahashi at the Kantei, 
followed by Mitani, director of Cabinet Intelligence. 
10:50: 
Entered his name in the register book to pay his respects for the 
deceased Yutaka Egashira, grandfather of Crown Princess Masako, at 
the Crown Prince's Palace. 
11:23: 
Met with Futahashi at the Kantei, followed by Mitani. 
12:03: 
Discussion over lunch with Internal Affairs and Communications 
Minister Takenaka, Japan Post Corp. President Ikuta, and heads of 
the four companies to be launched following postal privatization. 
14:42: 
Met with former LDP Secretary General Takebe 
 
TOKYO 00005529  003 OF 010 
 
 
16:24: 
Met with Nippon Keidanren Chairman Mitarai and others. 
17:01: 
Held last press conference as prime minister 
18:10: 
Arrived at Tokyo Prince Hotel Park Tower and stayed there 
overnight. 
 
4) Prime Minister Koizumi holds last press conference: I endured the 
test fate thrust upon me 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 26, 2006 
 
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi yesterday gave his last interview 
to reporters as prime minister at the Prime Minister's Official 
Residence (Kantei). Looking back on the lonely battle he fought as 
the nation's leader, he noted: "I was under constant strain and 
pressure. I knew that fate had given me a challenge that I had to 
endure." Koizumi gave high marks to new LDP President Abe's 
selection of the line-up of the three Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 
executives, saying: "The right people have been put in the right 
places. It is a well-considered line-up." 
 
To a question about postal privatization, which left hard feelings 
in the party, Koizumi said: "While some may say that it was a 
ruthless policy, it is a compassionate measure for the people. 
People will understand that as time goes by." Regarding his visits 
to Yasukuni Shrine, which have strained relations with China and 
South Korea, he reiterated, "My visits will be understood later." 
During his tenure, the prime minister generally spoke with reporters 
twice a day. At the end of this press conference, Koizumi bowed, 
saying, "Thank you," and left the room. 
 
5) Nippon Keidanren gives high marks to Koizumi reform: DPJ receives 
low marks 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
September 26, 2006 
 
The Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) yesterday released 
its evaluation of the government policy in 2006, which will serve as 
a yardstick when its members donate funds to political parties. The 
business organization highly evaluated the Koizumi reform, by 
upgrading the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) efforts for tax and 
fiscal reforms to the "A" mark. The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ = 
Minshuto) has received comparatively low scores with the exception 
of educational reform. 
 
The 4th issue of the Keidanren policy evaluation focused on the 
period from the July 2005 general election, which was fought over 
postal privatization, through this September -- the last year of 
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who is to step down today. 
 
The report gave the highest mark to the fact that the government and 
the ruling camp worked together in mapping out spending cut measures 
in basic policy guidelines on economic and fiscal management and 
structural reforms for the fiscal 2006 national budget in order to 
get the 2011 primary balance right. Chairman Fujio Mitarai during 
yesterday's press conference stressed, "It was ground-breaking that 
the government and the ruling parties have come up with a policy 
that is painful to them as well." 
 
TOKYO 00005529  004 OF 010 
 
 
 
The LDP obtained the "A" mark in seven evaluation items, with marks 
for the consistency with Nippon Keidanren's policy revised upward in 
a number of items, including regulatory reform and trade policy. On 
the other hand, with the handling of key bills carried over to the 
next administration, scores for all items in terms of achievement 
remained unchanged. 
 
The DPJ obtained no A marks, though gaps with the LDP have been 
narrowed through repeated policy dialogues, according to Deputy 
Chairman Kenji Miyahara. Gaps were visible between the DPJ and 
Nippon Keidanren regarding views on employment policy, in which the 
DPJ policy reflected the wishes of labor unions, and the energy and 
environment policy area, where the DPJ proposed an environment tax. 
 
6) Abe cabinet to be launched today; Abduction, second chance 
ministers to be named; Aso to remain in cabinet 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Top play) (Full) 
September 26, 2006 
 
Liberal Democratic Party President Shinzo Abe, 52, will be named the 
nation's 90th - 57th person - prime minister in plenary sessions of 
both chambers of the Diet in the extraordinary Diet session slated 
to open today. Abe will then soon begin determining a new lineup of 
cabinet ministers to launch his cabinet later in the day. Abe plans 
to establish a new cabinet post responsible for supporting the 
families of victims of kidnapped by North Korea, letting the chief 
cabinet secretary concurrently hold this post. He also intends to 
establish new cabinet posts by theme such as a second chance and 
innovation by reviewing the responsibilities of cabinet ministers in 
order to clarify the administration's objectives. In addition, Abe 
intends to increase the number of prime ministerial assistants as a 
means to enhance the functions of the Prime Minister's Official 
Residence (Kantei). Foreign Minister Taro Aso, 66, who came second 
after Abe in the LDP presidential election, is also certain to 
remain in the Abe cabinet. 
 
Both chambers of the Diet will convene plenary sessions at 1:00 p.m. 
today to name the new prime minister. Given the LDP and the New 
Komeito's numerical dominance in both houses of the Diet, Abe is 
likely to be named the new prime minister around 2:00 p.m. The new 
Abe cabinet will be launched later in the day after going through an 
attestation ceremony at the Imperial Palace tonight. 
 
Senior Vice Foreign Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki, 55, of the Niwa-Koga 
faction, is likely to fill the post of chief cabinet secretary. New 
Komeito Representative Takenori Kanzaki recommended yesterday New 
Komeito Secretary General Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, 70, for a cabinet post. 
Abe accepted Kanzaki's recommendation for Fuyushiba. Coordination is 
underway to name Fuyushiba either the new internal affairs and 
communications minister, the economy, trade and industry minister, 
or the land, infrastructure and transport minister. Abe will give 
two cabinet posts to the Upper House LDP, as before. In addition, 
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Jinen Nagase, 62, of the Mori 
faction, is expected to join the new cabinet. Furthermore, former 
Labor and Welfare Minister Akira Amari, 57, of the Yamasaki faction, 
LDP Tax System Research Commission Chairman Hakuo Yanagisawa, 71, of 
the Niwa-Koga faction, and Treasury Bureau Director-General Yuji 
Yamamoto, 54, are expected to win cabinet posts. 
 
7) Abe to set up public affairs assistant post to play up effort to 
 
TOKYO 00005529  005 OF 010 
 
 
eliminate bureaucratic influence; Futahashi to be replaced 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 26, 2006 
 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Shinzo Abe has generally 
decided to increase the number of prime ministerial assistants from 
the present two to five and to install an assistant in charge of 
press affairs as his government launches today. Abe will replace 
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masahiro Futahashi in the Prime 
Minister's Official Residence (Kantei). He also plans to pick on his 
own the staff members of a Kantei Special Mission Office, which he 
will set up. These moves are aimed at playing up Abe's determination 
to make decisions under the leadership of Kantei, eliminating 
bureaucratic resistance. 
 
Abe intends to appoint politicians to the five prime ministerial 
assistant posts in charge of press affairs, economic and fiscal 
policy, national security affairs, abduction issues, and education 
reform. The public affairs assistant would hold an afternoon press 
conference, taking one of the press briefings held twice a day -- 
one in the morning and the other in the afternoon -- now done by the 
chief cabinet secretary. He intends to position that assistant as 
"press officer" by revising the Cabinet Law at next year's ordinary 
Diet session. 
 
About 80 bureau director-level officials have applied to the Kantei 
Special Mission Office staff posts. All the applicants have agreed 
that they will not return to their ministries and agencies as long 
as an Abe administration runs. The selection has already been 
completed. The appointments will be officially announced after a 
cabinet meeting today. 
 
Futahashi was criticized for making remarks on behalf of the former 
Home Affairs Ministry (from which he came) in dealing the so-called 
trinity reform that would rearrange the taxation and fiscal 
relations between the central and local governments. By sacking 
Futahashi, Abe appears to be seeking check bureaucratic resistance 
against his new government, in addition to the reform of Kantei 
system. An administrative deputy chief cabinet secretary as a top 
bureaucrat will serve as a coordinator among the ministries and 
bureaucrats. Depending on who replaces Futahashi, there is a 
possibility that the administrative management of the new government 
will not go smoothly. 
 
8) Abe administration to be launched today; Private-sector 
individual to be named deputy chief cabinet secretary for first 
time; Number of prime ministerial assistants to be increased to 
five 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
September 26, 2006 
 
In launching his administration, Liberal Democratic Party President 
Shinzo Abe has decided to fill the post of deputy chief cabinet 
secretary for administrative affairs with a private-sector 
 
SIPDIS 
individual who has worked in the government. The deputy chief 
cabinet secretary for administrative affairs, the top bureaucratic 
post, has customarily been given to a person who has served as 
administrative vice minister of such ministries as the former Health 
and Welfare Ministry and the former Home Affairs Ministry. As a 
result, the administrative deputy chief cabinet secretary has a 
 
TOKYO 00005529  006 OF 010 
 
 
reputation for serving as a coordinator but not at coming up with 
innovative ideas in policy planning. Masahiro Futahashi, who has 
been serving as deputy chief cabinet secretary since September 2003, 
will resign. 
 
Abe also plans to have five prime ministerial assistants - the 
maximum number under the Cabinet Law - to enhance the functions of 
the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei). One each will be 
responsible for economic and fiscal affairs, national security, the 
abduction issue, education reform, and public relations. 
 
9) LDP President Abe decides to install four officials as 
administrative secretaries to prime minister 
 
MAINICHI (Page 3) (Full) 
September 26, 2006 
 
So Watanabe 
 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Shinzo Abe yesterday 
decided to appoint four officials - Minister's Secretariat Counselor 
Kazuho Tanaka of the Ministry of Finance  (joined the ministry in 
1979); Financial Affairs Division Director Hajime Hayashi of the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (joined the ministry in 1982); Policy 
Planning Division Director Takaya Imai of the Agency for Natural 
Resources and Energy's Natural Resources and Fuel Department (joined 
the agency in 1982); and Foreign Affairs Division Director Shigeru 
Kitamura of the National Police Agency (joined the agency in 1980) - 
to the posts of administrative secretaries to the prime minister 
after assuming office as prime minister. As the secretary for 
political affairs to the prime minister, Yoshiyuki Inoue, who served 
as secretary to the chief cabinet secretary, has already been 
named. 
 
10) LDP, Komeito hold ceremonial talks to continue coalition 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Abridged) 
September 26, 2006 
 
The two ruling coalition leaders, Liberal Democratic Party President 
Abe and New Komeito President Kanzaki, signed an agreement yesterday 
to maintain their parties' coalition ahead of Abe's launching of his 
cabinet. However, the agreement, as well as the New Komeito's new 
action plan, does not touch on anything about pending issues between 
the LDP and the New Komeito, such as amending the Constitution or 
establishing a national memorial for the war dead. It is obvious 
that Abe, who is conservative, and the New Komeito, which touts 
peace and welfare, differ. Even so, the LDP and the New Komeito 
first confirmed their intention to continue their coalition. It is 
clear that their coalition talks are ceremonial. 
 
Main points from LDP-Komeito coalition accord 
 
-- Realize a small, efficient government 
-- Continue social security reforms 
-- Take measures to deal with the low birthrate and create a society 
in which people can receive second chances 
-- Proceed with decentralization 
-- Promote educational reform 
-- Ensure the safety and security of people's livelihoods 
-- Reinforce small business measures 
-- Restructure agriculture, forestry, and fisheries 
 
TOKYO 00005529  007 OF 010 
 
 
-- Push for peace diplomacy 
 
11) Minshuto reelects Ozawa and party leadership; Diet affairs chief 
Watanabe replaced 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Abridged slightly) 
September 26, 2006 
 
The main opposition Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) held its 
special convention yesterday afternoon at a Tokyo hotel and 
reelected Ichiro Ozawa, 64, as party president. His term will run 
for two years until the end of September 2008. Naoto Kan, Yukio 
Hatoyama, and Takeaki Matsumoto were also reappointed acting party 
president, secretary general, and policy research committee 
chairman, respectively. Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Kozo 
Watanabe, a focus of attention, became a supreme adviser, handing 
over his post to Yoshiaki Takagi. Katsuya Okada and others were 
informally named vice presidents. Ozawa's predecessor Seiji Maehara 
declined Ozawa's offer for a vice presidential post, however. 
 
In a speech after winning the party endorsement, Ozawa expressed his 
determination to take over the reins of government, saying: 
 
"The opposition camp must win a majority in next year's Upper House 
election to destroy the LDP administration. We will also win the 
next Lower House election and take over the reins of government. I 
am determined to spearhead this battle by staking my political 
experience and career on it." 
 
Social Democratic Party head Mizuho Fukushima, People's New Party 
head Tamisuke Watanuki, and New Party Nippon chief Yasuo Tanaka also 
attended the Minshuto convention as guests for the first time in 
three years. 
 
12) Minshuto concerned about Ozawa's hospitalization 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
September 26, 2006 
 
The Liberal Democratic Party announced the lineup of its top three 
executives yesterday. The same day, Minshuto (Democratic Party of 
Japan) held a special convention, in which President Ichiro Ozawa, 
64, underscored the unity of opposition forces in a bid to take on 
incoming Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. However, his hospitalization for 
a checkup rekindled latent concerns about Ozawa's health. Although a 
senior party member said calmly, "His condition is not serious," 
Ozawa's second term as party president got off to a rocky start. 
 
At 17:20, about two hours after the convention, House of Councillors 
member Keiko Itokazu, who will run with the backing of opposition 
parties in the Okinawa gubernatorial election in November, visited 
the hospital attached to Nippon Medical School in Bunkyo Ward, 
Tokyo, to see Ozawa. She met Ozawa for about 30 minutes. Minshuto 
Upper House member Shokichi Kina said after visiting the hospital 
with Itokazu: "He looked great. He's fine." 
 
In a meeting of the Isshinkai, a group of junior party members 
supporting Ozawa, held at a Chinese restaurant in Tokyo last night, 
a message was sent from Ozawa noting: "Don't worry. I would like you 
to make more efforts to win the upcoming elections." 
 
A junior member optimistically said: "If it were a serious illness, 
 
TOKYO 00005529  008 OF 010 
 
 
his hospitalization would not have been announced." 
 
In the party convention yesterday, Ozawa seemed to be in good shape. 
He said in a speech, "Minshuto has only one goal, and that is to win 
the Upper House election and the next House of Representatives 
election." Just before the convention started, though, Ozawa said to 
Acting President Naoto Kan and Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama that 
he would go to the hospital after the convention. He told them, 
bowing his head: "I'm sorry this had to happen now." 
 
A party source close to Ozawa said: "He was hospitalized 15 years 
ago (for heart problems), so he must have been worried." 
 
In a press conference in May, Ozawa disclosed that he suffered from 
heart disease, saying: "I do not get down to work immediately after 
eating. Since breakfast or luncheon meetings are bad for my health, 
I have declined to attend such meetings." But after assuming the 
party presidency, he continued to be pressed with hard work, such as 
traveling across the nation to seek potential candidates for the 
Upper House election. When he visited Iwo Jima (Ogasawara Village, 
Tokyo) on Sept. 20 with Kan, he at one point took a rest while 
leaving a task to Kan. He must have been quite tired. 
 
13) Japan-China vice foreign ministerial: Coordination underway to 
hold summit 
 
MAINICHI (Page 3) (Full) 
September 26, 2006 
 
Tomoko Onuki 
 
The Japanese and Chinese governments yesterday held a comprehensive 
policy dialogue in Tokyo, following the one held on Sept. 23. 
Japan's Administrative Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi asked for 
an early resumption of summits between the two countries, which have 
been interrupted since last April, but Chinese Vice Foreign Minister 
Cui Tiankai maintained a stance of ascertaining how Liberal 
Democratic Party President Abe will deal with the issue of visits to 
Yasukuni Shrine after assuming the post of prime minister. 
Coordination has run into difficulties. Both sides have decided to 
continue the dialogue today. 
 
14) China urges Japanese prime minister to refrain from visiting 
Yasukuni Shrine"; Diplomatic bargaining underway for resumption of 
summit talks 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 1) (Full) 
September 26, 2006 
 
The Chinese government had urged prime minister-designate Shinzo Abe 
to "make it clear he will refrain from visiting Yasukuni Shrine" as 
the condition for Beijing to accept "Prime Minister" Shinzo Abe's 
visit to China, as well as for the resumption of a summit meeting 
between Japan and China, sources revealed yesterday. Both Japan and 
China have agreed on the need to resume summit talks and improve the 
currently strained relations between the two countries because of 
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to Yasukuni 
Shrine. For that end, coordination between the two countries is 
underway through vice foreign ministerial talks and other contacts, 
but diplomatic horse-trading is continuing over the Yasukuni Shrine 
visit issue. 
 
 
TOKYO 00005529  009 OF 010 
 
 
A bilateral dialogue between vice foreign ministers on overall 
policies has continued in Tokyo since Sept. 23. The Japanese team 
regards it as an opportunity to coordinate the realization of Abe's 
visit to China, even before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 
(APEC) forum slated for November. 
 
In the resumed session yesterday, Japanese Vice Foreign Minister 
Shotaro Yachi repeatedly explained Abe's position this way: "What 
should not be done is to shut off every dialogue just because of the 
Yasukuni issue." But Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai urged 
Japan to further concede, noting, "We'd like Mr. Abe to 'set up the 
ladder'." 
 
Specifically, the Chinese team called on Abe to turn around his 
current stance of not clearly stating whether he will visit the 
shrine or not and to state that he would refrain from visiting the 
shrine. China has stated it is wary about Abe's remarks about the 
"Murayama statement" (of regret for the war) and Class-A war 
criminals. In behind-the-scenes negotiations, Japanese officials 
told their Chinese counterparts that "Mr. Abe is unlikely to visit 
Yasukuni Shrine" by the time of its regular spring festival in next 
April, but they failed to convince the Chinese side. 
 
15) Police to probe Kim Dae Jung case again 
 
SANKEI (Top play) (Abridged) 
September 26, 2006 
 
Japanese police authorities have decided to reinvestigate the case 
of former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, who was kidnapped in 
Tokyo in 1973. The decision is based on the South Korean 
government's plan to shortly release its investigative committee's 
fact-finding report concluding that the incident was an organized 
crime involving the Korea Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) in 
those days, which is now the National Intelligence Service (NIS). 
Tokyo will ask Seoul to provide Japanese investigative authorities 
with records from the questioning of those who kidnapped Kim. The 
police will also look into the advisability of questioning them. 
 
In February last year, the South Korean government's fact-finding 
committee set about looking into the Kim Dae Jung case. The 
committee questioned ex-KCIA officials. As a result, Kim Dong Un, 
who was a KCIA agent and was a first secretary at the South Korean 
Embassy in Japan at the time, admitted to his involvement in the 
case. His fingerprints were discovered at the Hotel Grand Palace in 
Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, the scene of the abduction. Another ex-KCIA 
official testified that he was ordered by KCIA Director Lee Hu Rak 
to abduct Kim Dae Jung. 
 
The fact-finding committee concluded that the abduction was 
conducted by the KCIA, admitting the South Korean government's 
involvement. The committee will shortly release its report, 
according to officials. 
 
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department asked Secretary Kim to 
report. But the South Korean government rejected the request. The 
South Korean government did not indict him and did not even clarify 
whether he was a KCIA agent. Shortly thereafter, Seoul told Tokyo 
that South Korea had ended its investigation. The Japanese and South 
Korean governments have politically settled the case twice, first 
between Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka and South Korean Prime 
Minister Kim Jong Pil in November 1973 and then between Japanese 
 
TOKYO 00005529  010 OF 010 
 
 
Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa and South Korea Foreign Minister Kim 
Dong Jo in July 1975. 
 
16) GSDF to conduct joint training exercises next month with US 
troops from Iraq 
 
AKAHATA (Page 4) (Abridged) 
September 24, 2006 
 
The Ground Self-Defense Force is planning joint training exercises 
with US forces in mid-October at its Sekiyama range in Niigata 
Prefecture and other locations. Those US troops participating in the 
joint training exercises took part in mopping-up operations that 
killed many citizens in Fallujah and other localities in Iraq, 
sources revealed yesterday. 
 
The joint training exercises will be carried out with about 240 
troops from the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the 162nd Infantry 
Regiment of the 41st Infantry Brigade of the Oregon Army National 
Guard. The battalion was deployed in Iraq for about one year until 
its return home in March 2005. 
 
The battalion was ordered out in October 2003 and sent to Iraq after 
training in the United States, according to the March/April 2005 
issue of the Oregon Sentinel, an organ paper of the Oregon National 
Guard, and the Oregon state government's press release. "During 
their deployment, the battalion's soldiers participated in important 
battles in Fallujah and Najaf," the sources say. 
 
In addition, the battalion also joined security operations in 
Baghdad's Sadr City, where the sources say one of the hardest 
battles was fought in Iraq. 
 
US forces conducted mopping-up operations in Fallujah, where they 
slaughtered a large number of innocent citizens. So they were 
condemned in the international community. Their combat operations in 
Najaf and Sadr City also victimized many citizens. 
 
The joint training exercises will be conducted for 11 days from Oct. 
16-26. Participating from Japan are about 350 GSDF members assigned 
to the 1st Airborne Brigade based in the city of Funabashi, Chiba 
Prefecture. 
 
The 1st Airborne Brigade is one of the GSDF's crack units. It will 
be placed under the control of a central readiness command that is 
planned to be established within the current fiscal year for the 
GSDF's overseas deployment planning, training, and command. 
 
The joint training exercises will be carried out by the Self-Defense 
Forces, which experienced deployment in Iraq, with US troops who 
engaged in actual hard-fought battles in Iraq. 
 
SCHIEFFER