VZCZCXRO8791
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #3919/01 2360706
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240706Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6819
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/USDOJ WASHDC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/USDOT WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5//
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA//
RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA//J5/JO21//
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
RUAYJAA/CTF 72
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 5178
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 2747
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 6368
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 1769
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 3506
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8571
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4635
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 5580

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 12 TOKYO 003919 
 
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 08/24/07 
 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 
 
4) President Bush to travel to Sydney next month for the first 
trilateral summit talks with Australia, Japan 
 
Abe in India: 
5) Japan, India cooperation on environmental issue, despite Prime 
Minister Abe's summit diplomacy, is likely to quickly bog down 
6) Abe meets the eldest son of Justice Pal, who sat on the War 
Crimes Trial and found no one guilty 
 
Furor over anti-terror bill: 
7) DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan) is readying a counterproposal to 
the Anti-Terrorist Special Measures Law that would involve 
humanitarian aid 
8) Concentrated deliberation on the anti-terror bill to start in the 
Diet Sept. 26 
9) Activists across the nation starting a petition drive against 
extending the Anti-Terrorist Special Measures Law 
 
Defense and security issues: 
10) Feud between Koike, Moriya still smolders: Defense minister: I 
didn't lose my mind"; vice minister: "I wanted to be told about my 
successor" 
11) SDF unveils destroyer with flat top for helicopters that looks a 
lot like an aircraft carrier 
12) China takes first step toward possessing its own aircraft 
carrier 
 
13) Foreign Ministry plans to boost ODA funds in next fiscal year's 
budget request in order to expand environmental aid program 
 
Political agenda: 
14) Coordination to convene extraordinary session of the Diet on 
Sept. 10 for 60-day period 
15) Sinking-ship mood about the Abe cabinet spreads across LDP, 
making lawmakers skittish about being picked for new cabinet 
16) New Komeito starts distancing itself from LDP, even considering 
"off-cabinet" cooperation with Abe administration instead of taking 
ministerial post 
17) LDP's post mortem of the Upper House election loss concludes 
that there was a disconnect between the Abe policy line and the will 
of the public 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi, Mainichi, Yomiuri, Sankei, and Tokyo Shimbun: 
Punctured tank caused China Airlines jet fuel leak 
 
Nikkei: 
Isuzu, Hino to tie up in diesel engine development to meet 
environmental regulations 
 
Akahata: 
Nine lawmakers revise their funding reports ahead of cabinet 
reshuffle 
 
TOKYO 00003919  002 OF 012 
 
 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Abe in India: Value-oriented diplomacy not almighty 
(2) BOJ's decision to leave rates unchanged 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Japan-India relations: Abe's visit expected to result in first 
step toward strategic cooperation 
(2) BOJ's decision reasonable 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) India-Japan accord moves ties into new dimension 
(2) Market needs to restore calm before raising interest rates 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) BOJ decides not to raise rates in view of market risks 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Japan-India summit: Strategic cooperation vital 
(2) Interest rates must be raised to normal levels 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Murder by police officer 
(2) New Komeito must not join new cabinet 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Mysterious double-booking of office expenses 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, August 23 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 24, 2007 
 
Morning: 
Left Palam Air Force Station in Delhi, India, by a government plane. 
Arrived at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose CCU in Kolkata. Attended an 
opening ceremony of the India-Japan Culture Center. 
 
Noon 
Met Prasanta Pal, the eldest son of the late Indian judge Radhabinod 
Pal at the Tokyo Tribunal of War Criminals, at a hotel. Attended a 
luncheon party held by the West Bengal state government. 
Afternoon Visited the Tagore House and then the Chandra Bose 
Memorial. 
 
vening 
Left Chandra Bose CCU by a government plane. 
 
Night 
Arrived at Kuala Lumpur Airport in Malaysia. Stayed at the Hotel 
Nikko Kuala Lumpur. 
 
4) Japan, US, Australia to hold first summit on Sept. 8 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 24, 2008 
 
Japan, the United States, and Australia will hold their first 
 
TOKYO 00003919  003 OF 012 
 
 
trilateral summit in Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 8, according 
government sources yesterday. In the trilateral talks, Prime 
Minister Shinzo Abe, US President George W. Bush, and Australian 
Prime Minister John Howard will confirm the importance of trilateral 
security cooperation, focusing on North Korea's nuclear development 
problem and China's military buildup. Japan is now carrying out 
final coordination on a possibility of proposing in the meeting 
regularizing trilateral talks. 
 
The trilateral meeting will be held on the sidelines of the 
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to start on Sept. 8 
in Sydney. 
 
In addition to the Japan-US alliance and the US-Australia alliance, 
Japan and Australia signed this March a Japan-Australia joint 
security declaration proposing the strengthening of bilateral 
cooperation on the security front. Following this, the three 
countries agreed on the view that it is beneficial for them to 
strengthen summit-level cooperation in dealing with North Korea's 
problem and marine salvage, as well as in countering terrorism. 
 
The three leaders are expected to agree to call on China to make its 
military buildup program more transparent. Prime Minister Abe plans 
to stress the need for North Korea to implement the agreement 
reached in the six-party talks on its nuclear development problem. 
 
Japan, the US, and Australia established in March of last year a 
framework for strategic dialogue by their foreign ministers and 
state secretary. This June, their first defense ministerial meeting 
was held in Singapore. 
 
5) Cooperation from India to combat climate change seems difficult 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
August 24, 2007 
 
Kimitaka Nishiyama, New Delhi 
 
The major objective of Prime Minister Abe's visit to India this time 
was to bring it into a common framework against global warming. 
Prime Minister Singh of India praised Abe's "Cool Earth 50," a 
concept intended to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and said 
he would work together for that purpose. But this is taken to mean 
that the way for bilateral dialogue in this regard has now been just 
opened. Given Singh's remarks that "the important thing is to strike 
a balance between environmental preservation and economic growth," 
it has become even clearer that it is very difficult to involve 
India in an emission reduction scheme. 
 
"Cool Earth 50" sets a long-term target of halving the emissions of 
greenhouse gases by 2050 and suggests three principles on the 
creation of a post-Kyoto Protocol, which will be applied to years 
beyond 2013: (1) having all major emitters participate in the new 
framework; (2) creating a flexible framework that will give 
consideration to each country's circumstances; and (3) striking a 
balance between environmental preservation and economic growth via 
energy-saving technology. 
 
Abe, who is aiming to obtain cooperation from major emitters like 
the United States, China, and India, has elicited a positive stance 
from the US and China when he had separate summit talks in April 
with the leaders of the two countries. In the Group of Eight (G-8) 
 
TOKYO 00003919  004 OF 012 
 
 
major industrialized countries summit in Germany in June, as well, 
the G-8 members shared the same perception. 
 
In order for Abe to take the lead on measures against global warming 
in preparation for the 2008 G-8 summit in Lake Toya, Hokkaido, it is 
essential to obtain cooperation from the fifth largest emitter in 
the world, India. At a joint press briefing, Abe blew his horn, 
saying: "(Prime Minister Singh) has expressed his resolve toward an 
effective framework to be applied in 2013 and beyond. I deem this as 
a step forward." 
 
According to a Japanese government official, however, the view 
prevalent in the Japanese government is that India is less eager 
than China. Singh praised (Abe's) "Cool Earth 50," but this, too, is 
seen as simply expressing agreement in general terms because that 
concept is milder than a package of measures to reduce emissions the 
European Union is advancing. 
 
6) Abe meets son of Judge Pal, who built foundation of Japan-India 
relations 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Abridged slightly) 
August 24, 2007 
 
Yasushi Sugimoto, Kolkata 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, now visiting India, met with Proshanto 
Pal, the eldest son of the late Radhabinod Pal, who served as a 
judge at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, at a 
hotel in Kolkata on the morning of August 23 (afternoon of Aug. 23, 
Japan time). Pal was the sole dissenting judge at the Allied 
tribunal that condemned to death wartime Japanese leaders. Abe 
praised the Indian judge's conduct that eventually enhanced the 
friendship between Japan and India. 
 
In a dissenting opinion, Pal questioned the legitimacy of the 
tribunal and criticized the atomic bombing of Japan. Abe said to 
Proshanto Pal: "Even to this day, many Japanese revere your father. 
He was one of the persons who contributed to building the foundation 
of Japan-India relations. I think advancing bilateral relations was 
Judge Pal's wish. Relations between Japan and India are very strong 
today." 
 
Proshanto Pal visited Japan in 1966 with his father and met former 
Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, Abe's grandfather. Recalling that 
trip, Pal said, "It has been a long time since I met Mr. Kishi." Pal 
also gave Abe a framed black-and-white group photo including Kishi, 
his father, and himself, saying: "I am certain that you will exert 
yourself to improve relations between India and Japan, as Mr. Kishi 
did." In response Abe said: "I will make utmost efforts for 
enhancing bilateral relations." 
 
Asked in the Diet about the Class-A war criminals who were convicted 
at the tribunal, Abe said: "Under domestic law, there were not war 
criminals." Through his meeting with Proshanto Pal, Abe also 
intended to expose the existence of diverse historical perceptions 
in Asia by playing up India's response as clearly distinct from 
China, which has repeatedly criticized the Japanese prime minister's 
visits to Yasukuni Shrine on the grounds of the enshrinement of 
Class-A war criminals there. 
 
Abe also visited the memorial to Chandra Bose, who fought with Japan 
 
TOKYO 00003919  005 OF 012 
 
 
in the last major war and is now known as the father of independence 
of India. 
 
7) DPJ mulls Afghan humanitarian aid 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
August 24, 2007 
 
The leading opposition Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto), 
standing against the idea of extending the Antiterrorism Special 
Measures Law, will consider incorporating humanitarian and 
reconstruction assistance measures for Afghanistan in its 
counterproposal, party officials said yesterday. There were voices 
from among the DPJ's conservative lawmakers concerning the party's 
course of action. "If we just cry out against extending the law, and 
if we do not show our own idea of what Japan will do, our party's 
governing competence will be called into question," one junior 
lawmaker of the party said. 
 
DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa told DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama 
on Aug. 20: "The idea of using armed force to eliminate terrorism 
failed in Iraq, and it doesn't go well in Afghanistan, either. If we 
can work out some measures to help root out poverty (as a breeding 
ground for terrorism), that's good." 
 
The DPJ will launch a new lineup of executive officers on Aug. 31. 
After that, the DPJ will hold a meeting of its foreign affairs and 
defense panel to discuss specific measures in earnest. In September, 
the DPJ will send a fact-finding team to the United States, Britain, 
France, and Germany to explore effective assistance measures mainly 
for infrastructure construction, public health and medical support, 
food aid, and job creation. The DPJ is also considering civilian 
participation in a provisional reconstruction team (PRT) as well as 
funding cooperation for nongovernmental organizations. 
 
8) Extraordinary Diet session to focus concentration on 
antiterrorism law, deliberations on which are expected to begin on 
Sept. 26 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Almost full) 
August 24, 2007 
 
The government and the ruling coalition yesterday undertook final 
coordination to convene on Sept. 10 an extraordinary session of the 
Diet, which will discuss the question of extending the Antiterrorism 
Special Measures Law and which will last some 60 days. The ruling 
parties intend to begin deliberations on a bill revising the 
Antiterrorism Special Measures Law in late September and get the 
bill adopted by the Lower House by the end of that month, but the 
opposition parties are certain to raise objections to the bill. 
 
Referring to this sudden move by the ruling Liberal Democratic 
Party's (LDP) leadership to undertake coordination concerning the 
convocation of the extraordinary Diet session, one LDP member 
explained: "They appeared highly upset at the major opposition 
Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ or Minshuto) President Ozawa's 
remark that '(the LDP) is in the state of being brain dead.'" 
 
Secretary General Nakagawa and other executives initially intended 
 
SIPDIS 
to have a new lineup of the leadership determine when to convene the 
extraordinary Diet session and how long the session would last. But 
Ozawa made provocative remarks in a speech on Aug. 21 like this: 
 
TOKYO 00003919  006 OF 012 
 
 
"When will the Diet be opened? The government and the ruling 
coalition appear to be in the state of being brain dead." 
Apparently, the LDP leadership were reacting sharply to this 
remark. 
 
Bearing in mind the expiration of the Antiterrorism Special Measures 
Law on Nov. 1, the ruling coalition intends to have the 
extraordinary Diet session last until early November. As the purpose 
of the convocation of that session, an LDP senior member in charge 
of Diet affairs said: "The session will generally focus on the 
handling of the bill revising the Antiterrorism Special Measures 
Law." 
 
Behind this is the ruling bloc's concern that if the session lasts 
too long, it would give the DPJ an opportunity to pursue the LDP on 
the pension issue and the "politics-and-money" issue that may 
involve new cabinet members. If that happens, "the shuffled Abe 
cabinet would suffer damage," a government official concerned 
noted. 
 
Assuming that the extraordinary Diet session will be convened on 
Sept. 10, the ruling coalition has charted this short timetable for 
the Diet session: (1) question-and-answer sessions will take place 
in both the chambers of the Diet on Sept. 12-14; (2) 
questions-and-answer sessions in both the Lower and Upper House 
Budget Committees on Sept. 18-21; and (3) an explanation of the bill 
revising the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law will be given at the 
full session of the plenary session of the Lower House on Sept. 25 
and the bill will clear the Lower House on Sept. 28. 
 
Substantive discussion on the revision bill at the Lower House 
Committee on Prevention of Terrorism is expected to begin on Sept. 
26 if things go smoothly. This committee has been convened three 
times until now when the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law was 
extended in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Following this precedent, 
the ruling coalition plans to open this committee for three 
consecutive days on Sept. 26-28. 
 
DPJ Secretary General Hatoyama, however, yesterday said, "Our party 
needs to come up with a more substantive policy (than the current 
Antiterrorism Special Measures Law)," and he again made it clear 
that his party would oppose the bill and call for full-scale 
deliberations. A preliminary skirmish has thus already started. 
 
A timetable planned by the ruling coalition for the extraordinary 
Diet session in September 
 
 Major events 
Sept. 10 
The extraordinary Diet session will be convened. The prime minister 
will deliver a policy speech. 
Sept. 12-14 Questions-and-answers session in both the chambers of 
the Diet. 
 
Sept. 18-21 
The budget committee will be convened in both the chambers of the 
Diet. 
 
Sept. 25 
An explanation of the bill revising the Antiterrorism Special 
Measures Law will be given in the Lower House plenary session. 
 
 
TOKYO 00003919  007 OF 012 
 
 
Sept. 26 
Deliberations on the revision bill will begin at the Lower House 
special committee. 
 
Late September 
The revision bill will be put to the vote at the Lower House special 
committee and clear the Lower House (if things go smoothly). 
 
9) Groups campaigning across the nation in opposition to extending 
the Anti-terrorist Special Measures Law 
 
AKAHATA (Page 1) (Full) 
August 24, 2007 
 
The Central Action Committee for Revoking the (Japan-US) Security 
Treaty and action committees across the country yesterday carried 
out campaigns and petition-signing activities in each part of the 
country opposing the extension of the Anti-terrorist Special 
Measures Law. The appeal went out to oppose the extension of the 
"terrorist special measures law" that supports a retaliatory war 
against Afghanistan by America and other countries.  The law that 
allows the Maritime Self-Defense Force to provide refueling service 
for British and US warships in the Indian Ocean will expire on Nov. 
¶1. 
 
In Tokyo, members of the Tokyo Action Committee stood outside the 
West Entrance of Shinjuku Station and campaigned. Many people 
stopped to talk with them. A woman (36) from Saitama Prefecture 
stated: "I am absolutely against Japan cooperating with the war. It 
only makes terrorism worse. They only retaliate all the more."  A 
young man (18) who is the child of a Japanese and Iraqi said, "Wars 
only make weapons' manufacturers rich."  His face clouded over when 
he added, "I cannot even visit Iraq now." 
 
The Self-Defense Forces have supplied fuel and water for the past 
five and a half years, with the cost of the supplies totaling 22 
billion yen. A man (55) from Kanagawa Prefecture stated: "Everybody 
would be happy if they pulled out. It would have been better to have 
spent the 22 billion yen somewhere else." 
 
The action committee members made this appeal to the passersby: 
"Terrorism will not disappear by carrying out war. Japan, which has 
Article 9 in the Constitution, should stop cooperating with that 
war." 
 
10) Will Koike, Moriya continue their feud? 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
August 24, 2007 
 
Speaking before reporters in New Delhi last night, local time, 
Defense Minister Koike refuted criticism against her emerging even 
from ruling party members for feuding with Vice Defense Minister 
Takemasa Moriya over who should succeed Moriya. Koike said: "Keeping 
in mind the organizational restructuring (including disbanding the 
Defense Facilities Administrative Agency) planned for Sept. 1, I 
decided to change personnel. It is not correct to think that I have 
lost my mind and inserted myself into personnel matters." 
 
Koike indicated that she had decided to dismiss Moriya in part 
because there were problems with the Defense Ministry's 
information-management system, citing the case of leakage of 
 
TOKYO 00003919  008 OF 012 
 
 
classified information on the Aegis system. She said: "I wanted to 
say who was responsible. We can't say its another person's problem." 
Koike also criticized Chief Cabinet Secretary Shiozaki, who decided 
to put off the appointment of a new vice defense minister until 
after the planned cabinet reshuffle, remarking: "I have some doubts 
about his seriousness toward the reorganization of the Defense 
Ministry." 
 
Meanwhile, Moriya expressed his displeasure at Koike in a press 
conference in the Defense Ministry yesterday: "I follow the 
minister's decision on my retirement from office, but I told her 
that she should have consulted with me about my replacement." 
 
Regarding the fact that he had involved Prime Minister Abe and the 
chief cabinet secretary in the feud, Moriya expressed regret with a 
wry smile: "I feel sorry to have caused a sensation just before 
leaving the government." Some speculate that he might become an 
advisor to the Defense Ministry after retirement. Asked about this 
possibility, he just replied: "I would like to take a rest for a 
while, though this is a suggestion from the minister." 
 
11) New destroyer takes water 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 24, 2007 
 
A new destroyer for the Maritime Self-Defense Force took water 
yesterday. The 13,500-ton destroyer, codenamed DDH Hyuga, carries 
helicopters on board. The Defense Ministry held a launching ceremony 
yesterday at IHI Marine United's Yokohama dockyard. 
 
The DDH Hyuga is Japan's first 10,000-ton-plus destroyer with a 
continuous deck from the bow to the stem. The destroyer is not 
designed to base fighter jets for their landings and takeoffs. 
However, it looks like an aircraft carrier. One may say Japan will 
have an aircraft carrier in the future. It has an overall length of 
197 meters and a maximum beam of 33 meters. Its building cost was 
approximately 100 billion yen. 
 
12) China in run-up to flattop possession 
 
SANKEI (Page 1) (Abridged) 
August 24, 2007 
 
BEIJING-China is aiming to possess aircraft carriers for its navy, 
and its military has placed orders with foreign countries for 
carrier-borne fighter jets, a military source watching trends in 
China's armed forces revealed yesterday. China has not unveiled 
anything about its plan to build aircraft carriers. However, China 
is believed to have been in the run-up to possessing flattops. 
Japanese and US defense officials are paying close attention to the 
trends of China. 
 
Those carrier-borne aircrafts have been ordered "for testing 
purposes," according to the source. One of those ordered test 
version models is the Sukhoi-27 or Su-27 for short, a fighter jet 
developed by Russia. They include the Su-33, an improved version of 
the Su-27 as a carrier-borne fighter. China is believed to have 
placed orders with Russia or Ukraine for 10 planes or so. The source 
presumes that China has ordered the test aircrafts in order to use 
them the purpose of evaluating their performance as trainers and 
carrier-borne fighters. 
 
TOKYO 00003919  009 OF 012 
 
 
 
China seems to have imported some braking equipment systems for 
carrier-borne aircraft's deck landing. They include wiring used to 
hook and arrest carrier-based aircraft upon their touchdown. In 
addition, China is believed to have been researching various control 
and electronic systems that are believed to be used for aircraft 
carriers. 
 
13) Foreign Ministry to request 13 PERCENT  increase in ODA in next 
budget 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 24, 2007 
 
The Foreign Ministry decided yesterday to request approximately 517 
billion yen, up 13.9 PERCENT  over the initial budget for this 
fiscal year, for budgetary allocations on official development 
assistance (ODA) for next fiscal year. The ministry will ask for 
about 32 billion yen as expenses to finance preparations for the 
Lake Toya Summit in Japan next year. 
 
The total amount of budgetary allocations requested by the Foreign 
Ministry is 779 billion yen, up 16.1 PERCENT  over the previous 
year. To bolster the foundation of its diplomatic capabilities, the 
ministry will request establishing new overseas diplomatic 
properties in eight locations, such as Qingdao, China, and employing 
240 more staff members. Of the ODA budget, about 181 billion yen 
will be used to finance measures to deal with global warming and 
other global issues. The ministry also hopes to keep ODA funds for 
Africa at the same level as the previous fiscal year. 
 
14) Ruling coalition in coordination on plan to convene extra Diet 
session on Sept. 10, term of session about 60 days 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
August 24, 2007 
 
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, 
New Komeito, held yesterday a meeting of their secretaries general 
and Diet Affairs Committee chairmen in the Diet building. The LDP 
and New Komeito agreed to convene an extraordinary Diet session on 
Sept. 10, which will last about 60 days through early November. The 
two parties intend to coordinate the plan with the Prime Minister's 
Official Residence (Kantei), as well as with the opposition camp. 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to participate in the 
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to be held in Sydney on 
Sept. 8-9. The ruling coalition wishes to hold an opening ceremony 
of the extra session and the prime minister's policy speech on Sept. 
10 soon after Abe returns from his overseas tour, and interpellation 
speeches by representatives of political parties on Sept. 12-14. 
 
LDP Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Toshihiro Nikai told reporters: 
 
"It is only natural for us to consider deliberations on the 
Antiterrorism Special Measures Law, which will expire on Nov. 1. We 
want to discuss with the Kantei the fall session plan, as well as 
the handling of bills carried over from the latest regular 
session." 
 
15) Growing mood of backing away from assuming cabinet posts 
 
 
TOKYO 00003919  010 OF 012 
 
 
TOKYO SHIMUBN (Page 2) (Full) 
August 24, 2007 
 
With a reshuffle of the cabinet coming up on Aug. 27, there are 
unexpectedly few Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers seeking to 
be appointed to cabinet posts, and there remains even a mood of 
shying away from joining the reshuffled cabinet. The public will 
take a severe view of new cabinet ministers in connection with 
issues involving money and politics. It's no wonder that calls for 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to quit will become stronger any time. 
Therefore, it seems that many LDP lawmakers do not want to risk 
their political life. 
 
Up until Junichiro Koizumi became prime minister, the names of LDP 
Lower House members serving in their fifth and sixth term in the 
Diet were put on a list of recommendations automatically. Former 
Prime Minister Koizumi, however, adopted an appointment style of 
sounding out lawmakers on their interest in serving in cabinet 
posts. 
 
It won't be surprising if LDP lawmakers seek to be appointed to 
cabinet posts since Abe followed Koizumi's appointment style. But 
the dominant mood in the LDP is that many party members are trying 
to watch calmly how Abe will rebuild his administration. 
 
The biggest reason for this situation is that Abe's grip on the 
party has weakened. 
 
Abe has remained in the prime minister's post, although his LDP 
suffered a historical defeat in the July House of Councillors 
election. Jiji Press found in its poll on Aug. 3-6 that the Abe 
cabinet's support rate dropped to 22.6 PERCENT  -- the lowest ever 
since the cabinet was inaugurated. 
 
If the prime minister fails to put an end to the declining approval 
rating for his cabinet, a view calling on Abe to step down will 
become strong with an eye on the next Lower House election. As a 
result, a drive to remove Abe from the premiership may become 
obvious. If the cabinet resigns as a body, the terms of new cabinet 
ministers will be short. Therefore, it is understandable that LDP 
lawmakers choose to wait for the next chance rather than to serve in 
the reshuffled Abe cabinet. 
 
One former cabinet minister said: "It's better not to get on a 
sinking boat." 
 
Lawmakers have strong interest in the issue of money and politics, 
following political fund scandals involving Agriculture Minister 
Akagi and other ministers. Should inappropriate use of political 
funds be found in new cabinet ministers' political fund reports, 
their accountability will be severely required. 
 
Even mid-level lawmakers, who have reached positions to be appointed 
as cabinet ministers, are reluctant to assume cabinet posts. 
 
LDP lawmakers corrected their political funds reports in succession 
this month because the party's reform implementation headquarters 
advised re-checking of political funds reports. Most of the 
lawmakers were those who looking forward to becoming cabinet 
ministers. 
 
Diet members appear to have a desire to assume a minister post at 
 
TOKYO 00003919  011 OF 012 
 
 
least once. 
 
16) New Komeito prefectural chapter representative suggests 
"Cooperation with the government from outside the cabinet" 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
August 24, 2007 
 
The New Komeito held a national convention at party headquarters on 
Aug. 22 to examine the results of the July Upper House election. In 
the session, a representative from one prefectural chapter suggested 
that the party rethink the current coalition government between the 
Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komeito and consider instead 
the possibility of cooperation with the government from outside the 
cabinet, sources revealed. 
 
According to an official concerned, this representative noted: "Our 
party should examine the past eight years of the LDP-New Komeito 
coalition government. One idea is for the New Komeito to distance 
itself from the LDP and cooperate with the LDP from outside the 
cabinet." 
 
Secretary General Kitagawa responded, "There's no doubt that the 
 
SIPDIS 
LDP-New Komeito coalition government has propelled reforms. The 
LDP-New Komeito line is unshakable." But the meeting revealed that 
local chapters of the New Komeito, which had suffered a staggering 
defeat in the Upper House, were wavering on continuing the 
coalition. 
 
17) LDP report on Upper House race result cites gap between Abe 
policy and popular will, criticizes public relations strategy 
 
Mainichi Shimbun (Page 2) (Full) 
August 24, 2007 
 
By Hirohiko Sakaguchi and So Watanabe 
 
The overall contents of the final report on the causes of the 
Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) defeat in the recent Upper House 
election was disclosed on 23 August.  The report was compiled by an 
LDP panel charged with analyzing the party's setback (chaired by 
Yoshio Yatsu, director of the LDP Election Strategy Headquarters 
General Affairs).  The report candidly criticized the apparent gap 
between policies advocated by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the will 
of the public, and it urged the carrying out of "administrative 
management in line with the public's views."  The report also noted 
that the public relations strategy stressed by the Prime Minister's 
Official Residence and the LDP was unable to win the hearts of the 
people.  The report will be submitted to the party's General 
Assembly on 24 August. 
 
The final report concluded that the party failed to highlight the 
following policies as campaign issues: the "beautiful country" 
policy; the policy to "break away from the post-war regime"; and the 
reform line.  The report also said that the opposition parties 
managed to take the initiative away from the opposition camp in the 
election race because of their "livelihood first" strategy. 
 
With regard to the focal issues of the appointments of cabinet 
ministers as a reward for supporting the prime minister, the return 
to the LDP of lawmakers who opposed privatizing the state-run postal 
services, and the "money and politics" scandals, the report stressed 
 
TOKYO 00003919  012 OF 012 
 
 
the issues "gave the public the image that Prime Minister is on the 
side of politicians in Nagata-cho and not on the side of the general 
public."  It then opined, "The public might have called into 
question his leadership and ability to govern." 
 
The report pointed out five factors that caused the LDP's defeat. 
These factors include the three "adverse winds": the issue of 
missing pension records; the "politics and money" issue; gaffes by 
ministers and scandals involving them.  The report also cited a 
"rebellion in provinces" and the decrease in the number of local 
assembly members and local government heads. 
 
MESERVE