VZCZCXRO8247
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #4120/01 2480820
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 050820Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7259
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 5417
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 2992
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 6622
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 1976
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 3729
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8803
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4865
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 5776

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 004120 
 
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:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 09/05/07 
 
 
Index: 
 
(1) Interview with Defense Minister Masahiko Komura on Antiterrorism 
Law 
 
(2) Interview with Defense Minister Masahiko Komura on Antiterrorism 
Law -- "Japan will continue refueling operation no matter what" 
 
(3) Upper House member Koike picked parliamentary secretary for 
foreign affairs 
 
(4) Borrowing issue: "Mistake in records," says Kamoshita; 
Opposition parties eye possibility of issuing censure motion 
 
(5) Four opposition parties to put up joint front in upcoming 
extraordinary Diet session with eye on dissolution before year's 
end: How will the censure motion be used? 
 
(6) Editorial -- US-DPRK agreement: Bringing about denuclearization 
in strict terms and without any loopholes is critical 
 
(7) Cabinet Office, 10 ministries want to abolish no IAIs; 
Administrative minister to ask them to reconsider "zero response" 
 
(8) TOP HEADLINES 
 
(9) EDITORIALS 
 
(10) Prime Minister's schedule, September 4 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Interview with Defense Minister Masahiko Komura on Antiterrorism 
Law 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 5, 2007 
 
¶Q. The opposition parties are opposed to an extension of the 
Antiterrorism Special Measures Law. How are you going to deal with 
them? 
 
Komura: I am going to offer thorough explanations about the law's 
significance to both the opposition parties and the general public. 
The maritime interdiction operations to block terrorists have been 
authorized by UN resolutions. Countries that did not send troops to 
Iraq, such as France and Germany, are also taking part in the 
operations. The Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling services are 
the foundation for those operations. I'm afraid that the general 
public is not fully aware of how much Japan's refueling operation is 
being appreciated by the international community and how much it is 
helping Japan itself. 
 
Q: A new law is also under study. Is the government still going to 
present a bill to revise the existing law to extend the MSDF 
mission? 
 
Komura: The bottom line is to continue the MSDF operation beyond 
November 2. We will pursue every possibility to that end. 
 
Q: One option would be establishing a new law for resuming 
activities after the existing law expires. 
 
TOKYO 00004120  002 OF 009 
 
 
 
Komura: That's possible. We might go for new legislation before the 
current law expires. 
 
Q: Is there any room for talks with the Democratic Party of Japan? 
 
Komura: I was a member of the "Ozawa research council" (that studied 
the country's international contributions, such as joining the 
multinational forces, in the days when Ichiro Ozawa and others were 
still members of the Liberal Democratic Party). So I think I know 
well about Mr. Ozawa's thinking. I believe he did not stick to the 
United Nations' authorization back then, but he said that Japan was 
allowed to join (international) police activities. I want to hear 
his thoughts on the matter. 
 
Q: There is stiff local resistance to the planned relocation of 
Futenma Air Station in Okinawa. 
 
Komura: Following local requests, the government has produced its 
plan that has also won the consensus of Tokyo and Washington. I will 
do my utmost to convince the local residents to support the 
government plan. 
 
Q: What are your responses to the SDF mission in Iraq, including an 
exit strategy? 
 
Komura: Humanitarian and reconstruction assistance has won 
international support. The Diet has approved its extension, so the 
mission will go on. Although the government will not think of an 
exit strategy for the time being, anything could happen, such as 
withdrawing from the country successfully or losing cost 
effectiveness. 
 
Q: What new system are you going to build in cooperation with new 
Administrative Vice-Defense Minister Kohei Masuda? 
 
Komura: We must commit ourselves to national defense for the people. 
I could go, "Both of us have passed the bar examination and are 
gentle." But (recent reports on a clash with former Vice Minister 
Takemasa Moriya) have revealed that I am not really gentle. 
 
(2) Interview with Defense Minister Masahiko Komura on Antiterrorism 
Law -- "Japan will continue refueling operation no matter what" 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Abridged slightly) 
September 5, 2007 
 
I am going to spell out the need to extend the Antiterrorism Special 
Measures Law to the opposition parties. If Japan terminated its 
refueling operation in the Indian Ocean at this point, other 
countries would think Japan is an abnormal country. Japan must 
continue its refueling operation no matter what, and I will pursue 
every possibility to that end. Theoretically speaking, it is 
possible to present a new bill, while continuing activities under 
the Antiterrorism Law. The government led by the Cabinet Secretariat 
is nailing down the details. Ichiro Ozawa, the president of the 
Democratic Party of Japan, thinks the Antiterrorism Law lacks UN 
authorization. The fact is the United Nations has given a seal of 
approval to the law. Refueling foreign vessels is an act that is 
consistent with Ozawa's thinking that Japan should actively take 
part in collective defense. 
 
 
TOKYO 00004120  003 OF 009 
 
 
The government's plan to build a V-shaped pair of runways at the 
relocation site for Futenma Air Station in Okinawa is totally 
rational. I will heed local views, but unless there is something 
extraordinary, making changes to the plan would be difficult. 
 
Based on bitter lessons learned from the leakage of information on 
the Aegis system by Maritime Self-Defense Force officers, we will 
make the SDF personnel become fully aware of the importance of 
information security. Although we have not considered a punitive 
clause or other steps to toughen the law, the government might 
consider such options in the future. 
 
(3) Upper House member Koike picked parliamentary secretary for 
foreign affairs 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
August 5, 2007 
 
The government decided yesterday in a round-robin cabinet meeting to 
appoint House of Councillors member Masakatsu Koike as parliamentary 
secretary for foreign affairs to serve as the replacement of Yukio 
 
SIPDIS 
Sakamoto, who quit the post in connection with the Liberal 
Democratic Party branch office she heads that had used receipts for 
fictitious political meetings multiple times in her political 
reports. 
 
Masakatsu Koike represents the Upper House Tokushima constituency. 
He served as an Audit Committee director. He graduated from the 
University of Tokyo. He is serving in his first term in the Upper 
House. He is 55 years old. He belongs to the Tsushima faction in the 
LDP. 
 
(4) Borrowing issue: "Mistake in records," says Kamoshita; 
Opposition parties eye possibility of issuing censure motion 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
Evening, September 5, 2007 
 
Concerning unclear borrowings reported by his fund management 
organization, Environment Minister Kamoshita this morning told 
reporters in Tokyo, "I would like to conduct a factual investigation 
and report the result to all of you." He indicated his intention to 
hold a press conference and provide an explanation of the matter. 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yosano plans to listen to Kamoshita's 
explanation. Eyeing a submission of a censure motion against Prime 
Minister Abe to the Upper House, where the opposition camp has a 
majority, the opposition intends to demand that Abe dismiss 
Kamoshita, provided that he cannot fulfill his accountability by 
coming up with a clear explanation. 
 
The political fund payment report submitted in 1996 by Kamoshita's 
fund management organization recorded 2 million yen as borrowings 
from him. The body recorded 10 million yen as borrowed from 
Kamoshita during a period from 1998 through 2005. Kamoshita failed 
to explain the 8 million yen discrepancy. 
 
Kamoshita stated, "My perception of the discrepancy is that there 
were borrowings worth 2 million yen, and that the 10 million yen in 
borrowings was later reported by mistake. I deeply reflect on the 
fact that the mistaken record has been reported for years." He 
added, "I believe records were kept somehow in a sloppy manner. I 
will correct the reports wherever necessary." 
 
TOKYO 00004120  004 OF 009 
 
 
 
He stressed that he has no intention of stepping down as cabinet 
minister, saying, "I will provide a proper explanation. I will do my 
best in order to provide a convincing explanation." 
 
Prime Minister Abe at noon today told reporters at the Prime 
Minister's Official Residence (Kantei): "I heard that there was some 
mistake in the records. If this is a case of a mistake, he must 
correct what should be corrected. Then I would like him to give an 
account." 
 
The prime minister's policy is that he will dismiss cabinet 
ministers if they cannot provide explanations when there are charges 
of a politics and money scandal. Asked about whether the case this 
time falls under this policy, Abe replied, "If it was a case caused 
by an error, it does not fall under that policy." He indicated that 
if it was a simple mistake, Kamoshita need not step down. However, 
some ruling party members are concerned about the possible impact of 
the incident on the extraordinary Diet session to be convened 
shortly. Chances are that the matter could develop into a question 
of whether or not he should resign, depending on what explanations 
Kamoshita will come up with. 
 
Kenji Yamaoka, chair of the Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ or 
Minshuto) Diet Affairs Committee, said, "We will demand explanations 
from him in the Diet session. If he cannot give explanations, he 
would deserve a censure motion." 
 
(5) Four opposition parties to put up joint front in upcoming 
extraordinary Diet session with eye on dissolution before year's 
end: How will the censure motion be used? 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
September 5, 2007 
 
The government and the ruling parties yesterday decided to convene 
the fall extraordinary Diet session on Sept. 10 for 62 days until 
Nov. 10. The major point at issue is an extension of the 
Antiterrorism Law. However, there has been no end to the series of 
scandals involving government officials and LDP lawmakers even after 
the cabinet reshuffle, as can be seen in the resignations of 
Agriculture Minister Takehiko Endo and Upper House member Yutaka 
Kobayashi. In a bid to force a Diet dissolution before year's end, 
the opposition bloc is hardening its confrontational stance, 
brandishing the threat of presenting censure motions against Prime 
Minister Abe and the members of his cabinet. 
 
Referring to the resignation of Endo, Abe during an LDP executive 
meeting held yesterday morning offered an apology, "I am sorry the 
incident caused so much trouble." With a stern expression, he then 
gave an order: "The upcoming Diet session will be stormy in all 
ways. I ask the government and the ruling parties to unite and ride 
it out." 
 
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto), the Social 
Democratic Party (SDP), the People's New Party (PNP) and the 
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) also held a joint meeting of Diet 
affairs committee chairmen. Participants agreed to pursue the 
"politics and money" scandals in a thorough manner. The JCP 
distanced itself from the other opposition parties early this year, 
but the party now plans to attend that regular meeting. 
 
 
TOKYO 00004120  005 OF 009 
 
 
Opposition parties have decided to demand that budget committee 
hearings of both chambers be held for 5-6 days in total. They also 
agreed to summon Fujio Mitarai, chairman of the Japan Business 
Federation (Nippon Keidanren), to the Lower House Budget Committee 
over Canon's fabrication of job contracts. Their aim is to let him 
step down as a member of the government's Council on Economic and 
Fiscal Policy (CEFP), thereby delaying the start of deliberations on 
a bill amending the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law. 
 
Though this meeting did not focus on the issuance of censure motions 
against cabinet ministers in the Upper House, opposition parties 
consider this strategy as a major card to play in order to shake the 
government and the ruling parties. 
 
If censure motions against cabinet ministers over their politics and 
money scandals are adopted in the Upper House, where the ruling 
parties hold a majority, the administration would face a 
predicament. However, if opposition parties issue that card 
excessively, cabinet ministers would stick to their posts, 
highlighting what censure motions can do is limited. 
 
It is even more so, when it comes to a censure motion against the 
prime minister. If such is submitted to the Upper House, the ruling 
parties are bound to introduce a confidence motion for the cabinet. 
If the confidence in the cabinet is legally adopted, opposition 
parties would be left with no more cards to play. 
 
How effectively a censure motion should be used is a major challenge 
for the opposition camp, as a source in the camp put. 
 
DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama tried to constrain the ruling 
bloc by noting, "There will appear a case in which a censure motion 
against the prime minister has to be submitted." A preliminary 
skirmish has already begun. 
 
(6) Editorial -- US-DPRK agreement: Bringing about denuclearization 
in strict terms and without any loopholes is critical 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
September 5, 2007 
 
We cannot rejoice at this agreement. This agreement means that the 
United States and North Korea agreed at their working group meeting 
in the six-party talks in Geneva to "disable" the nuclear facilities 
and "make a report on all of nuclear programs" within the year. We 
hope the North will abide by the agreement by completely dismantling 
its nuclear facilities and denuclearizing itself in an irreversible 
way. 
 
However, a number of doubts are cast on this agreement. In reporting 
on the agreement, the Korean Central News Agency said that it has 
been decided that the US "will remove North Korea from the list of 
countries supporting terrorism and lift all the sanctions imposed on 
North Korea." The US denied an early removal of North Korea from the 
list, noting, "It depends on progress on denuclearization," but 
evidently, the US is implying a future removal. 
 
We again remind the US of this point. Delisting North Korea as a 
state sponsor of terrorism is an important trump card to resolve a 
number of issues concerning the North. The US must be prudent about 
using that trump card in order to have the North strictly implement 
the points of agreement and realize denuclearization without any 
 
TOKYO 00004120  006 OF 009 
 
 
loopholes. 
 
When it comes to "disablement," what measures will be taken to 
disable the existing nuclear facilities? We know of no specific 
ideas for that having been made clear.  It is also necessary to 
reveal the amount of plutonium the North has extracted until now and 
the number of nuclear bombs the North possesses at present. It might 
take time to ravel various doubts, including the existence of 
production programs for plutonium-type or uranium-type nuclear 
weapons. 
 
Additionally, the abduction issue has been indeed stalled from the 
Japanese point of view. If the US made a quick move to remove the 
North from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, it would be 
regrettable in terms of Japan dealing with North Korea, as well as 
in terms of relations between Japan and the US. 
 
To be sure, whether to remove the North from the list of state 
sponsors of terrorism is primarily a domestic issue for the US. In 
fact, Secretary of State Rice also has made her position clear by 
noting: "A resolution of the abduction issue is not a condition for 
the US to remove the North from the list of state sponsors of 
terrorism." The annual report on terrorism released in May by the 
Department of State concluded that there has been no case of North 
Korea supporting terrorists since the 1987 explosion of a Korean 
Airlines jetliner caused by North Korean agents. The report's 
coverage of the abduction issue has been shortened compared to the 
previous one. 
 
President Bush and key US officials have expressed consideration for 
the abduction issue, but they cannot prevent giving the impression 
that they have done so only to give lip service to Japan. Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Kaoru Yosano made this comment: "The US does not 
have the slightest intention of leaving Japan behind. I think it is 
important to believe the US." However, it is not just a question of 
believing in the US. We also deem it important for Japan to make its 
direct request of the US. 
 
Aside from the abduction issue, it is Japan that has been most 
exposed to the threats of North Korea's nuclear development and 
missiles. The US is now calling on Japan to extend the Antiterrorism 
Special Measures Law. Listing the North as a state sponsor of 
terrorism is one thing and Japan's Antiterrorism Special Measures 
Law is another. But if an impression of "Japan being left behind" 
regarding the North Korean issue is growing stronger, the Japanese 
public's sentiment toward the US will cool down. 
 
Whether the US will disclose information has been made an issue in 
regard to an extension of the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law. 
Regarding the North Korean issue, too, the US should provide Japan 
with more information and improve communications with Japan. Given 
the past relations between Japan and the US and geographical aspects 
of the two countries, it is strange if Japan is being "left 
behind." 
 
(7) Cabinet Office, 10 ministries want to abolish no IAIs; 
Administrative minister to ask them to reconsider "zero response" 
 
YOMIURI (Top Play) (Slightly abridged) 
September 4, 2007 
 
It was learned on Sept. 3 that the Cabinet Office and 10 ministries 
 
TOKYO 00004120  007 OF 009 
 
 
had submitted to the Cabinet's Headquarters for the Promotion of 
Administrative Reform their plans to abolish any of the independent 
administrative institutions (IAIs) under their jurisdiction, a sign 
of strong resistance among bureaucrats against the shrinking of 
IAIs, which provide retired bureaucrats lucrative jobs. Yoshimi 
Watanabe, state minister in charge of administrative reform, intends 
to ask them to reconsider a "zero response." 
 
There are 101 IAIs. However, the plans the Cabinet Office and 10 
ministries presented mad no proposal of abolishing and privatizing 
the IAIs, except for the Japan Green Resources Agency, the 
abolishment of which has been decided. 
 
The plans also did not stipulate the abolishment of the Nippon 
Automated Cargo Clearance System Operations Organization (NACCS) 
under the Finance ministry's jurisdiction, only referring to the 
possibility of its privatization. 
 
Regarding the National Statistics Center (NSC) under the 
jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 
and the National Hospital Organization under the jurisdiction of the 
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the plans stipulated that the 
status of public employees of the NEX executives would be deprived. 
 
IAIs that would go private include 1) the National Printing Bureau, 
under the Finance Ministry's jurisdiction, 2) the National Institute 
for Materials Science under the Education Ministry's jurisdiction, 
3) the Agriculture & Livestock Industries Corporation under the 
Agriculture Ministry's jurisdiction, and 4) the Japan External Trade 
Organization under the METI's jurisdiction. 
 
The government decided in a cabinet meeting on Aug. 10 on a basic 
policy of streamlining the IAIs, which stipulates a review of them 
in view of securing their self-reliance independence. 
 
The government plans to finalize the streamline plans of IAIs later 
this year. However, bargaining between the administrative reform 
minister and bureaucrats will likely continue until the last 
minute. 
 
(8) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Comsn's at-home nursing-care operations to be sold to 16 entities 
 
Mainichi: 
Three major nursing-care companies to buy most Comsn's at-home 
operations in 30 prefectures 
 
Yomiuri: 
Environment Minister Kamoshita's fund management group provides 
inadequate explanation for 8 million yen loan declared in political 
funds reports 
 
Nikkei: 
Government mulling tax credit for contributions to hometown 
revenues 
 
Sankei: 
Minister of health, labor and welfare directs Social Insurance 
Agency to reinvestigate pension embezzlement 
 
 
TOKYO 00004120  008 OF 009 
 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
LDP lawmaker Kobayashi quits Diet 
 
(9) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Embezzlement of pension funds by pension administrators 
disgraceful 
(2) Resignation of Diet members: Changing times calls for new rules 
 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Pension theft: Social Insurance Agency must bring charges 
against pension administrators who pocketed pension funds 
(2) US-DPRK agreement: North Korea's strict denuclearization urged 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Full story of pension fraud must come out 
(2) Japan's unique culture "MANGA" 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) APEC should show the meaning of its existence in connection with 
global environment 
(2) Is pension fraud tip of the iceberg? 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Japan-DPRK working group: Don't change stance of resolving 
abduction issue 
(2) Pension fraud is disgusting 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Thorough investigations on pension fraud and punishment 
necessary 
(2) How will Iraq escape from the quagmire it is in? 
 
(10) Prime Minister's schedule, September 4 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 5, 2007 
 
09:02 
Executive meeting at the party headquarters 
 
09:22 
Cabinet meeting at the Kantei. 
 
09:58 
Reporting to the Emperor in private at the Imperial Palace. Then 
attestation form new Agriculture Minister Wakabayashi. 
 
10:44 
Issued a letter of appointment to Wakabayashi, followed by a photo 
shoot. 
 
11:08 
Met with Election Strategy Headquarters Director Suga. Photo session 
with recipients of the award for persons of merit for disaster 
prevention. Then met with Ambassador Mine in charge of the 
Japan-North Korea Normalization talks. 
 
11:40 
Met witch Vice Cabinet Office Minister Uchida and Decoration Bureau 
 
TOKYO 00004120  009 OF 009 
 
 
Director General Fukushita. 
 
13:49 
Met with Vice Foreign Minister Yachi. 
 
14:43 
Met with former Secretary General Takebe. 
 
15:09 
Issued a letter of appointment to Parliamentary Secretary for 
Foreign Affairs Koike. Then met with Deputy Foreign Minister Kono 
and Deputy Vice METI Minister Toyoda. 
 
17:09 
Certification conferment ceremony for the structural reform special 
zone plan, the regional revitalization plan and the downtown 
revitalization basic plan. 
 
19:05 
Met with Secretary General Aso, General Council Chairman Nikai, 
Policy Research Council Chairman Ishihara and LDP caucus in the 
Upper House Chairman Otsuji. 
 
DONOVAN