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UNCLAS TOKYO 002074 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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: MEDIA REACTION - US BUDGET FOR IRAQ - TOKYO 
 
 
LEAD STORIES: Wednesday morning's Asahi front-paged an 
article on an interim report compiled by a research team 
at the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare that has 
found that there were no prions discovered in the brains 
of mice that had been implanted with brain tissue from 21- 
and 23-month cattle that tested positive for BSE in 2003. 
The daily wrote that given that Tokyo has set a 20-month 
age limit on US beef imports based on the 2003 
preliminary tests, this discovery could affect future 
beef trade talks between the US and Japan. 
 
¶1. "US Must Fulfill Responsibility to Stabilize Iraq" The 
top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri editorialized (5/9): 
"The Bush administration and Congress are increasingly at 
loggerheads over policy on Iraq, which has become more 
chaotic. President Bush has vetoed a supplementary budget 
for Iraq spending approved by both houses of Congress on 
the grounds that the inclusion of a date for withdrawals 
was irresponsible. As things stand, the US effort in Iraq 
will begin running short of money as early as July, 
likely hindering US military activities there. Moves are 
underway for the president and Congress to explore a 
political compromise to enact a new supplementary budget. 
The failure to reach a compromise would inevitably have a 
negative effect on US policy in Iraq.... The Democratic 
Party, which won the midterm elections, sees political 
gain in insisting on an early withdrawal so as to turn 
the tide of the 2008 presidential campaign in its favor. 
President Bush, for his part, will have to take 
responsibility during his remaining term of office for 
stabilizing Iraq." 
 
DONOVAN