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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 TOKYO 003639 
 
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 08/09/07-2 
 
 
Index: 
 
Defense and security affairs: 
11) Defense Minister Koike in Washington meeting with Defense 
Secretary Gates transmits Japan's intention to continue MSDF service 
 
SIPDIS 
in the Indian Ocean 
12) Government to beef up counterintelligence functions to protect 
against spy activities targeting Japan 
13) New Komeito pressure forces LDP to shelve efforts to change 
constitutional interpretation banning use of right of collective 
self-defense 
14) Collective self-defense will not be on the Diet docket this fall 
 
 
Announcement of South-North Korea summit: 
15) With surprise announcement of South-North Korea summit, 
government alarmed that Japan's issue with the North will be even 
more pushed into background 
16) South Korea joins conciliatory trend with North Korea, leaving 
Japan farther behind the six-party pack and Prime Minister Abe 
facing policy dilemma 
 
Political agenda: 
17) Anti-Abe forces forming a group in the LDP 
18) Some in ruling camp pushing for a delay in Diet opening, now set 
for Aug. 31 
 
Articless: 
 
11) Japan-US defense summit: Japanese defense minister conveys 
intention to continue MSDF refueling operations in Indian Ocean 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
August 9, 2007 
 
Takashi Arimoto, Washington 
 
Visiting Japanese Defense Minister Yuriko Koike yesterday met with 
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at the Defense Department. In the 
 
SIPDIS 
session, Koike conveyed to Gates Japan's plan to extend the 
Antiterrorism Special Measures Law in order to continue the Maritime 
Self-Defense Force's (MSDF) refueling operations in the Indian 
Ocean, saying: "We'd like to fulfill a role expected from Japan in 
the war on terror." In response, Gates told Koike: "We've highly 
appreciated Japan's active contributions in the war on terror. 
 
Koike also referred to the selection of the next-generation fighter 
plane (FX) and said: "Given the drastically changing situation in 
East Asia, I think it is necessary to secure quality over 
quantity." 
 
After the meeting, Koike criticized the main opposition Democratic 
Party of Japan's (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa for his opposition to 
extending the law this way: "Mr. Ozawa's way of thinking is the same 
as at the time of the Gulf War. He has failed to catch up with the 
times." 
 
12) Gov't to step up counterintelligence 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Abridged) 
August 9, 2007 
 
 
TOKYO 00003639  002 OF 005 
 
 
The government has worked out a plan to step up its 
counterintelligence against foreign spies. The plan is intended to 
protect classified information about national security mainly in the 
area of diplomacy and defense. Such confidential information will be 
placed under the government's special control. For that purpose, the 
government plans to launch a new section under the Cabinet 
Secretariat next fiscal year. In addition, the government is also 
 
SIPDIS 
planning to introduce a system that will examine and confirm 
qualifications for access to classified information. The newly 
planned body is to control the government's classified information 
to prevent its leakage. 
 
The government will hold a meeting of its counterintelligence 
promotion panel today to approve, with Deputy Chief Cabinet 
Secretary Junzo Matoba presiding. In the meeting, the panel is 
 
SIPDIS 
expected to approve the government's planned basic course of action 
for counterintelligence. 
 
The government is going to flesh out the plan with specific 
measures. After that, the government will implement these measures 
in stages, with the first stage scheduled for April next year and 
the second stage for April 2009. The Cabinet Intelligence and 
Research Office (CIRO) will set up a "counterintelligence center" to 
control classified information. 
 
13) New Komeito clearly opposed to modifying constitutional 
interpretation to allow collective defense 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Abridged slightly) 
August 9, 2007 
 
It has now become difficult to make changes to the government's 
interpretation of the Constitution to allow the country to exercise 
the right to collective self-defense, a priority for Prime Minister 
Shinzo Abe. The blue-ribbon panel established by Abe to study the 
collective defense right still plans to produce a set of proposals 
this fall urging the government to open the door to collective 
defense. Meanwhile, New Komeito Secretary General Kazuo Kitagawa 
yesterday voiced his party's opposition to altering the government's 
constitutional interpretation. In addition, with the reversal of the 
positions of the ruling and opposition parties in the House of 
Councillors, even amending laws, such as the Self-Defense Force Law, 
has now become difficult. 
 
Kitagawa said in a press conference: "We are against altering the 
interpretation in the first place. Besides, the Upper House is now 
controlled by the opposition camp, so modifying the interpretation 
is not possible." He thus voiced opposition and pointed to 
difficulty in improving laws, as well. 
 
Abe has ordered the panel to study whether Japan can exercise the 
collective defense right in several scenarios, including a US naval 
vessel being attacked on the high seas. In responding to a question 
at the Diet in May, Abe said: "In the event the SDF take action 
based on (the government's new interpretation of the Constitution), 
a law would naturally be necessary." 
 
According to debate in the Liberal Democratic Party and the Cabinet 
Legislation Bureau, opening the door to collective defense would 
require an additional clause to the SDF Law allowing the SDF to 
intercept US-bound missiles, in addition to a new law specifying a 
set of conditions and procedures for exercising the collective 
 
TOKYO 00003639  003 OF 005 
 
 
defense right. 
 
But the New Komeito is opposing it and chances are slim for the 
Democratic Party of Japan to cooperate in improving the law for 
collective defense. Although some government officials think that 
the prime minister's Diet reply is sufficient for changing the 
constitutional interpretation, this approach is certain to draw fire 
from within the ruling bloc as rough and hasty. 
 
14) Extraordinary Diet session likely to be postponed until 
September 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Full) 
August 9, 2007 
 
The government and ruling parties decided yesterday to give up on 
the idea of convening the fall extraordinary Diet session before the 
end of the month. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe originally considered 
shuffling his cabinet on August 27 and opening the extraordinary 
Diet session on August 31. But he has decided to postpone the plan 
in consideration of the ruling bloc's opinion that cabinet ministers 
would need more time for making preparations. Coordination is 
underway to convene the session in mid-September in part to secure 
enough time for deliberations on the Antiterrorism Special Measures 
Law scheduled to expire on November 1 -- a highlight in the next 
Diet session. 
 
Some government officials revealed this yesterday. Abe plans to 
shuffle his cabinet on August 27, as planned. 
 
15) Government worried Japan may be isolated in six-party talks, 
with two Koreas summit 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 9, 2007 
 
The announcement by South Korea of a planned meeting between the 
leaders of South and North Korea has sparked concern in the Japanese 
government that if the two Koreas placed priority on their bilateral 
dialogue over the six-party talks, Japan might be removed from the 
(six-party) framework of addressing issues related to Pyongyang. 
 
It will be the second summit between the two Koreas, following the 
one in June 2000. Officials in the government and the ruling camp 
outwardly welcome the news of the Koreas summit, with Liberal 
Democratic Party Secretary General Nakagawa saying: "I hope the 
summit will help accelerate the process of resolving the issue of 
Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese nationals and denuclearizing 
North Korea." In their hearts, though, they fear the summit will 
have an adverse effect on ongoing international efforts to bring 
about the North's denuclearization, with one government source 
remarking: "In an attempt to achieve some 'results,' prior to the 
presidential election in December by meeting with the North Korean 
leader, South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun might make excessive 
concessions, such as promising to offer large-scale economic 
assistance to Pyongyang, while downplaying North Korea's 
nuclear-development issue." 
 
Concerning the abduction issue, Prime Minister Abe said last night: 
"The issue is extremely important for Japan, so we must resolve it 
without fail. I will convey Japan's strong intention and view to the 
South Korean government and seek its understanding." 
 
TOKYO 00003639  004 OF 005 
 
 
 
16) Other countries taking conciliatory approach to North Korea 
while leaving Japan out of loop; Prime minister also being tested 
over abduction issue 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
August 9, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Abe outwardly welcomed the announcement of a planned 
North-South Korea summit yesterday, saying: "I hope (the meeting) 
will help ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula." But recent moves 
by the United States and South Korea eager to hold talks with the 
North show their willingness to take a conciliatory approach toward 
Pyongyang while leaving Japan out of the loop. In addition to the 
Liberal Democratic Party's crushing defeat in the July House of 
Councillors election, the issue of Pyongyang's abductions of 
Japanese nationals is now facing the prime minister as a major 
challenge. 
 
In June, US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, top US 
negotiator for the six-party talks, made a surprise visit to North 
Korea. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi also visited Pyongyang 
last month and met North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. This time, North 
and South Korea agreed to hold a summit. 
 
As it stands, North Korea has actively made a diplomatic approach 
separately to countries involved in the six-party talks. This 
strategy is apparently aimed at isolating Japan in the six-party 
talks, displeasing the Japanese government. In response to Hill's 
visit to North Korea, Foreign Minister Taro Aso commented: "We don't 
want the US to easily make a concession." 
 
Japan and North Korea have agreed to hold a bilateral working group 
meeting under the framework of the six-party talks later this month. 
Now that the US aims to implement the "next stage" by the end of 
this year, following North Korea's denuclearization, Japan wants to 
find a way to settle the issue of Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese 
nationals. The Foreign Ministry has expectations of the next 
working-group meeting, a senior official saying: "I do not think 
that North Korea will insist the abduction issue has already 
resolved." But nobody knows what move North Korea will make in the 
meeting." 
 
17) Cross-factional anti-Abe group to be launched within month 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Slightly abridged) 
August 9, 2007 
 
LDP lawmakers belonging to the Tsushima, Yamasaki and Tanigaki 
factions yesterday held a meeting in Tokyo and decided to launch a 
cross-factional study group from a standpoint critical of the Abe 
administration's policy. The members of the envisaged group will 
include former Education Minister Kenji Kosaka, who openly 
criticized Abe for remaining in office despite the crushing defeat 
suffered by the ruling camp in the Upper House election. There is a 
possibility of this group attracting LDP members critical of the 
prime minister. 
 
The meeting brought together Kosaka, Lower House members Asahiko 
Mihara and Masazumi Gotoda from the Tsushima faction, Lower House 
member Kisaburo Tokai from the Yamasaki faction, and Lower House 
members Hiroyuki Sonoda and Koichi Yamamoto from the Tanigaki 
 
TOKYO 00003639  005 OF 005 
 
 
faction. Former Home Affairs Minister Takeshi Noda is also expected 
to join from the Yamasaki faction. Participants of the meeting 
sounded out former State Minister for Economic and Fiscal Policy 
Kaoru Yosano, who does not belong to any faction, about the 
possibility of his joining the group. However, in response to an 
interview by the Mainichi Shimbun, Yosano noted, "I will not join 
any move that has anything to do with a Lower House dissolution and 
snap election." The seven will hold a preparatory meeting for the 
establishment of the envisaged group within the month and launch it, 
after naming it. They said they will widely recruit participants 
from within the party. 
 
Many participants in the meeting yesterday criticized Abe, with one 
noting, "The prime minister has rejected changing the basic policy, 
insisting that the basic policy is supported, but he has pursued no 
policy discussion." A consensus was reached that the group would 
propose revising the excessive market principles adopted under the 
Koizumi reform policy, as Sonoda put it. 
 
No cabinet ministers have been picked from these three factions with 
the exception of Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Policy 
Akira Amari, who was given the post in reward for supporting Abe in 
the LDP presidential election last year. These factions are 
maintaining their distance from the administration. Kosaka called on 
the prime minister to step down during the LDP lawmakers' meeting on 
the 7th. 
 
18) Arguments calling for putting off convening extraordinary Diet 
session on Aug. 31 spreading in ruling parties 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 9, 2007 
 
Opinions calling for putting off convening the full-fledged fall 
extraordinary Diet session on Aug. 31 are gaining ground. The 
coordination of the schedule with Aug. 31 in mind is already 
underway at the wishes of the Prime Minister's Office (Kantei). 
However, some have pointed out that there would not be enough time 
to prepare Diet replies since a Cabinet reshuffle is to take place 
on Aug. 27. An increasing number of LDP and New Komeito members are 
also insisting that since the opposition camp has gained control the 
Upper House, the ruling camp must carefully prepare Diet replies. 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to convene the next extraordinary 
Diet session as soon as possible in order to ensure passage of an 
amendment bill intended to extend the Antiterrorism Special Measures 
Law. 
 
One senior member of the LDP Diet Policy Committee yesterday said, 
"Nothing has been decided about the date of convening the 
extraordinary Diet session." Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa 
Shiozaki will today confer on the Diet schedule with Tetsuro Yano, 
chairman of the LDP Upper House Diet Policy Committee. 
 
A plan to put off the date of convening the extraordinary Diet 
session until mid-September, when the prime minister will have been 
back from his trip to Australia to attend the APEC summit to be held 
in Sydney, has also been floated. 
 
SCHIEFFER