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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 005272 
 
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 11/19/07 
 
 
Index: 
 
Prime Minister's weekend schedule: None, after returning from the 
US-Japan summit meeting in Washington 
 
Bush-Fukuda summit meeting: 
1) In first summit meeting with President Bush, Prime Minister 
Fukuda promised to put every effort into early passage of new 
antiterrorism bill (Asahi) 
2) Main exchanges between President Bush and Prime Minister Fukuda 
(Asahi) 
3) On North Korea abduction issue, US, Japan remain on different 
tracks, despite summit assurances (Mainichi) 
4) Families of Japanese abducted by North Korea disappointed with 
Fukuda's efforts in Washington summit meeting (Tokyo Shimbun) 
5) Fukuda in speech at CSIS calls for more personnel exchanges 
between US, Japan (Nikkei) 
6) US, disgruntled with tough beef-import restrictions, continues 
pressure at the Bush-Fukuda summit meeting (Mainichi) 
7) Is the alliance adrift again?  asks Asahi correspondent Yoichi 
Kato (Asahi) 
 
8) Prime Minister Fukuda travels to Singapore today for ASEAN plus 3 
meeting (Mainichi) 
 
Political agenda: 
9) Fuji TV poll (small sampling) finds non-support rate for Fukuda 
Cabinet now is higher than the support rate: 48.2 PERCENT  to 45.2 
PERCENT  (Sankei) 
10) Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ozawa on TV Sunday is 
negative about a grand alliance with the LDP, Diet extension, and 
antiterrorism law (Sankei) 
11) DPJ Secretary General Hatoyama: Rather than making promises to 
the US at the summit meeting, it would be better for the prime 
minister to debate in the Diet (Tokyo Shimbun) 
12) Alarm spreads across the LDP, New Komeito with the DPJ-backed 
candidate's win in Osaka mayoralty race; impact expected on 
antiterrorism bill deliberations (Sankei) 
 
13) Former Japan director at the Pentagon James Auer denies being 
wined and dined by shady defense contractor now under arrest 
(Sankei) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) Gist of Japan-US summit 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) 
Eve., November 17, 2007 
 
The following is a gist of the Japan-US summit talks between Prime 
Minister Fukuda and President Bush. 
 
Japan-US relations 
 
Prime Minister Fukuda and President Bush agreed that the Japan-US 
alliance is the cornerstone for Japan and the United States to 
develop their Asia diplomacies and that it plays a role 
indispensable for the two countries to deal with global issues. 
 
North Korea 
 
 
TOKYO 00005272  002 OF 011 
 
 
Prime Minister Fukuda explained the importance of resolving the 
abduction issue and the importance of cooperation between Japan and 
the United States, including the issue of delisting North Korea as a 
terror sponsor. 
 
President Bush understands that the Japanese government and the 
Japanese people are concerned that the United States may leave the 
abduction issue behind to deal with North Korea. The United States 
will never (sic) forget the abduction issue. The United States 
supports the Japanese government's efforts. 
 
Prime Minister Fukuda and President Bush agreed that it is important 
to implement the six-party statement as a whole in a well-balanced 
way. The two leaders confirmed that Japan and the United States will 
continue to cooperate closely with each other. 
 
Indian Ocean refueling resumption 
 
Prime Minister Fukuda vowed to do his best to pass a refueling 
assistance special measures bill at an early date in order for Japan 
to resume the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling activities in 
the Indian Ocean at the earliest possible time. 
 
President Bush appreciated Japan's efforts to resume its refueling 
activities. 
 
US beef 
 
President Bush expressed hope that Japan will open its market for 
all US beef products in conformity with the international 
guidelines. 
 
Prime Minister Fukuda stated that food safety for the Japanese 
people is the main premise and that Japan will deal with the matter 
on the basis of scientific findings. 
 
Climate change 
 
Prime Minister Fukuda and President Bush agreed that Japan and the 
United States will cooperate closely with each other so that 
concrete results will be achieved for an effective framework for the 
future (with the participation of major greenhouse gas emitters). 
The two leaders also agreed that Japan and the United States will 
cooperate on technology development and on the peaceful use of 
atomic energy for global warming prevention and energy security to 
sustain economic growth. 
 
2) Is the alliance adrift again?  Commentary by America Bureau Chief 
Yoichi Kato 
 
ASAHI (Page2) (Full) 
November 18, 2007 
 
After his summit meeting with President Bush, Prime Minister Fukuda 
had a meeting with scholars and other experts. The original version 
of the address prepared for the session started with the words, "The 
US-Japan relationship is now at its friendliest level ever," but the 
words he actually delivered were, "Whether it is Iraq or Afghanistan 
or North Korea, there are problems everywhere." The tone shifted 180 
degrees. At the end of his meeting with President Bush, the prime 
minister must have thought that it was not an occasion for praising 
the alliance. 
 
TOKYO 00005272  003 OF 011 
 
 
 
The bilateral relationship has a mountain of difficult issues. In 
addition to the delisting of North Korea as a state sponsoring 
terrorism, there are such other issues as the Self-Defense Forces 
(SDF) resuming refueling operations in the Indian Ocean, changing 
Japan's share of the burden of host-nation support for US forces in 
Japan (sympathy budget), and the beef import issue. What is feared 
the most is a negative chain reaction: 1) if the perception in Japan 
is that it is being left behind on North Korean issues, public 
opinion will harden toward the US; 2) the resumption of SDF 
refueling and progress on the sympathy budget then meet with 
setbacks; and 3) the US becomes filled with distrust toward Japan. 
 
Ambassador to the US Ryozo Kato in a recent speech stated that the 
situation was "the most difficult since my appointment in Sept. 
2001." Michael Green, Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and 
International Studies, gave this analysis: "We are probably entering 
a period of drift (as occurred after the Cold War)." 
 
More than anything, the strength of the Fukuda administration has 
greatly waned.  With the election loss, the ruling camp has lost its 
power to lead the Diet. On the US side, almost all of the Bush 
administration's energy has been used up by the Iraq situation. In 
addition, one by one, almost all of the experts on Japan have left 
the Bush administration. "There is no one left who wakes up in the 
morning thinking about how to strengthen the US-Japan relationship," 
said Green. 
 
The prime minister's meeting with scholars and other experts was an 
event aimed at strengthening exchanges between Japan and the United 
States. Although measures to counter the gradual tapering off of 
experts on Japan may be effective eventually, for the present 
situation, they are useless. With the current situation only 
becoming more serious, there is a noticeable sense of having reached 
a dead end. 
 
Basically, with the national security environment having changed 
overnight by the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the US, the problem has 
emerged of the alliance not having caught up to that reality. Since 
the alliance only has in mind such challenges as the defense of the 
Japanese homeland, as well as war on the Korean Peninsula or in the 
Taiwan Strait, it needs to be changed so that it can deal with the 
terrorist threat that knows no national boundaries. The need again 
to redefine the alliance has arisen, as it did after the Cold War. 
 
However, to do so, the administration must have the strength needed. 
Although strategic talks was the top theme, the Bush-Fukuda summit 
meeting ended only affirming that the bedrock nature of the Japan-US 
relationship. The meeting gave a glimpse of the alliance again being 
adrift. 
 
3) Prime Minister Fukuda to leave for Singapore today, to explain 
"resonant foreign policy" 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
November 19, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda will leave for Singapore today to attend 
the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 
Plus Three (Japan, China and South Korea). He will explain in the 
summit to other Asian countries his vision of foreign policy 
promoting "resonance of the Japan-US alliance and Asia diplomacy," 
 
TOKYO 00005272  004 OF 011 
 
 
which he told in his summit on Nov. 16 with US President George W. 
Bush. He is determined to play up his political identity in the 
summit meeting of the ASEAN plus Three. He will return home early on 
Tuesday. 
 
Fukuda is expected to hold talks for the first time together with 
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and South Korea President Roh Moo 
Hyun. After the trilateral meeting, he will then meet separately 
with Wen and Roh. Besides meetings with ASEAN member countries, he 
will attend the East Asia summit, in which the top leaders of India 
and Australia will also take part. 
 
The expectation is that in his meeting with Wen, Fukuda will 
announce his intention to visit China in late December at the 
earliest, and that he will invite President Hu Jintao to visit Japan 
next April. Since the Yasukuni problem has calmed down when Fukuda 
revealed that he would not visit Yasukuni Shrine, a cause of trouble 
in the Koizumi government, Japan and China can now cooperate freely 
in environmental affairs. 
 
The Chinese government has expectations of Fukuda, who is known as 
one of the friendliest Japanese politicians toward China. Therefore, 
Fukuda and Wen will reconfirm their efforts to develop a strategic 
reciprocal relation, which first confirmed between Wen and former 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. However, the two leaders are unlikely to 
carry out penetrating exchanges on such single pending issues as gas 
exploration in the East China Sea. 
 
The outlook is that in the Japan-China-South Korea summit, 
cooperation of the three countries over the North Korea issue will 
become the main topic of discussion. This will be against the 
background in which there is a possibility the United States will 
delist the North as state sponsoring terrorism. 
 
4) Abductees' families disappointed with prime minister: "He did not 
refer to delisting issue" 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
Evening, November 17, 2007 
 
Referring to a Japan-US joint press conference held after a summit 
between Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and President Bush, Deputy 
Chairman Shigeo Iizuka of the Association of the Families of Victims 
Kidnapped by North Korea, now visiting the US, expressed his 
disappointment that the issue of the US taking North Korea off its 
list of state sponsors of terrorism was not take up at the summit. 
He said, "It was very regrettable." 
 
Following the joint press conference, Iizuka told reporters his 
impression of the summit, "I had the impression that Prime Minister 
Fukuda came to the US just to greet the president." He then 
disappointedly said, "President Bush during the joint press 
conference after the summit said that he would not forget the 
abduction issue. However, Prime Minister Fukuda did not mention that 
he wants the US not to take North Korea off the US blacklist." 
 
He further stressed, "I think North Korea will be desisted at some 
point of the time. However, it must be after the abduction issue is 
settled. It is an act of terrorism that North Korea has refused to 
return abductees." 
 
Members of the association had hoped to directly ask President Bush 
 
TOKYO 00005272  005 OF 011 
 
 
not to delist North Korea. Iizuka and other members on Nov. 15 met 
with Assistant Secretary of State Hill, the US chief envoy to the 
six-party talks, to discuss North Korea issue and strongly call on 
the US not to delist North Korea. 
 
5) Prime Minister Fukuda to promote person-to-person exchange; To 
provide financial assistance to think-tanks 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
Evening, November 17, 2007 
 
Hiroaki Ito, Washington 
 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda held an informal meeting on Nov. 16 with 
US think-tank fellows and intellectuals versed in Japan-US relations 
on Nov. 16 at the official residence of the minister at the Japanese 
Embassy in Washington. 
 
Fukuda, who aims to place emphasis on expanding exchanges of persons 
between Japan and the United States, stated in the meeting: "A 
relationship of trust is the foundation of diplomacy. Bilateral 
relations will become deeper and closer with mutual understanding of 
lawmakers, academics and students." 
 
As part of promoting person-to-person exchange, the government will 
provide such major US think-tanks as the Center for Strategic and 
International Studies (CSIS) and American Enterprise Institute (AEI) 
with 150 million yen over three years through the Japan Foundation. 
Japan also will offer 100 million yen in two years to ten 
organizations, including universities, which are engaged in studies 
of Japan. 
 
6) Bush, Fukuda fail to reach agreement on US beef issue; 
Dissatisfied US continuing to apply pressure on Japan 
 
MAINICHI (Page 7) (Full) 
November 18, 2007 
 
Nobuhiro Saito, Washington 
 
In the Japan-United States summit on Nov. 16, President Bush renewed 
his call for Japan's removal of its all import restrictions on US 
beef. Reflecting growing irritation among US officials concerned and 
livestock farmers at the lack of progress on the issue, the US has 
repeatedly made this request. Just before the summit meeting, a US 
livestock group criticized Japan's import restrictions, complaining: 
"We suffered losses worth approximately 8 billion dollars over the 
past four years." The US has thus continued applying pressure on 
Japan on the beef issue. 
 
The US, though, also finds it difficult to promote a probing 
discussion with Japan on the beef issue, in relation to ongoing 
negotiations with South Korea on their free trade agreement (FTA). 
Since Washington has called on Seoul to lift its all import 
restrictions, the US cannot leave any room for Japan to negotiate 
the possibility of keeping some of its import requirements. 
 
According to a Japan-US diplomatic source, there was no exchange of 
sharp words in the summit, with both leaders just repeating their 
respective conventional views. President Bush said: "I hope Japan 
will completely open up its market, based on the international 
standard, " with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda replying: "The 
 
TOKYO 00005272  006 OF 011 
 
 
government will deal with the issue on a scientific basis, on the 
major precondition that the safety of food be ensured for the 
people." 
 
South Korea has presented the condition of importing US beef from 
cattle up to 30 months of age, remaining at odds with the US, which 
is calling on South Korea to drop the age-limit restriction. Unless 
a settlement is brought to the beef issue, the US Congress and South 
Korea's Parliament will never be able to approve their free trade 
agreement. Given this situation, the US has put aside negotiations 
with Japan. Under such a situation, no tense atmosphere was detected 
in a press conference after the summit meeting. 
 
Even so, the major perception gap between Japan and the US remains 
unresolved. There is always the possibility of the beef issue 
emerging as the cause of a conflict between the US and Japan, 
depending on progress in US-South Korea negotiations, as President 
Bush has called the beef issue "an important diplomatic issue." US 
pressure to urge Japan to remove its import restrictions is likely 
to continue in the future. 
 
7) Is the alliance adrift again?  Commentary by America Bureau Chief 
Yoichi Kato 
 
ASAHI (Page2) (Full) 
November 18, 2007 
 
After his summit meeting with President Bush, Prime Minister Fukuda 
had a meeting with scholars and other experts. The original version 
of the address prepared for the session started with the words, "The 
US-Japan relationship is now at its friendliest level ever," but the 
words he actually delivered were, "Whether it is Iraq or Afghanistan 
or North Korea, there are problems everywhere." The tone shifted 180 
degrees. At the end of his meeting with President Bush, the prime 
minister must have thought that it was not an occasion for praising 
the alliance. 
 
The bilateral relationship has a mountain of difficult issues. In 
addition to the delisting of North Korea as a state sponsoring 
terrorism, there are such other issues as the Self-Defense Forces 
(SDF) resuming refueling operations in the Indian Ocean, changing 
Japan's share of the burden of host-nation support for US forces in 
Japan (sympathy budget), and the beef import issue. What is feared 
the most is a negative chain reaction: 1) if the perception in Japan 
is that it is being left behind on North Korean issues, public 
opinion will harden toward the US; 2) the resumption of SDF 
refueling and progress on the sympathy budget then meet with 
setbacks; and 3) the US becomes filled with distrust toward Japan. 
 
Ambassador to the US Ryozo Kato in a recent speech stated that the 
situation was "the most difficult since my appointment in Sept. 
2001." Michael Green, Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and 
International Studies, gave this analysis: "We are probably entering 
a period of drift (as occurred after the Cold War)." 
 
More than anything, the strength of the Fukuda administration has 
greatly waned.  With the election loss, the ruling camp has lost its 
power to lead the Diet. On the US side, almost all of the Bush 
administration's energy has been used up by the Iraq situation. In 
addition, one by one, almost all of the experts on Japan have left 
the Bush administration. "There is no one left who wakes up in the 
morning thinking about how to strengthen the US-Japan relationship," 
 
TOKYO 00005272  007 OF 011 
 
 
said Green. 
 
The prime minister's meeting with scholars and other experts was an 
event aimed at strengthening exchanges between Japan and the United 
States. Although measures to counter the gradual tapering off of 
experts on Japan may be effective eventually, for the present 
situation, they are useless. With the current situation only 
becoming more serious, there is a noticeable sense of having reached 
a dead end. 
 
Basically, with the national security environment having changed 
overnight by the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the US, the problem has 
emerged of the alliance not having caught up to that reality. Since 
the alliance only has in mind such challenges as the defense of the 
Japanese homeland, as well as war on the Korean Peninsula or in the 
Taiwan Strait, it needs to be changed so that it can deal with the 
terrorist threat that knows no national boundaries. The need again 
to redefine the alliance has arisen, as it did after the Cold War. 
 
However, to do so, the administration must have the strength needed. 
Although strategic talks was the top theme, the Bush-Fukuda summit 
meeting ended only affirming that the bedrock nature of the Japan-US 
relationship. The meeting gave a glimpse of the alliance again being 
adrift. 
 
8) Motives for delisting North Korea seen: Japanese, US top leaders 
agreed to settle abduction, nuclear issues concurrently? 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
November 18, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and US President Bush met on Nov. 16 
(early hours of the 17th, Japan time). However, in an unusual move, 
both countries decided not to reveal the exchange of views over 
whether to take North Korea off the US list of state sponsors of 
terrorisms. This is because the issue is sensitive to both 
countries, according to a senior Foreign Ministry official. However, 
it is discernible from the released statements, such as Fukuda's 
remark on "the importance of Japan-US cooperation on such issues as 
the removal of North Korea from the US list of state sponsors of 
terrorism," that both countries are now paving the way for 
delisting. Fukuda and Bush appear to have confirmed that they shared 
a common understanding that it is necessary to concurrently settle 
the nuclear and abduction issues. Taking North Korea off the US 
blacklist is considered to have been characterized as part of this 
process. 
 
An aide accompanying the prime minister on his visit to the US 
refused to answer questions asked by reporters, by simply repeating, 
"We cannot disclose exchanges of views between the prime minister 
and the president over the removal of North from the US blacklist." 
When former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the US in April and 
held a summit with the president, it was revealed that the president 
categorically said that he would keep in mind the abduction issue. 
However, this time no questions were accepted at a joint press 
conference held right after the summit. 
 
The president during the summit stressed, "I will never forget the 
abduction issue." Referring to this statement, a source familiar 
with Japan-North Korea relations explained, ""Never forget' implies 
'farewell.' It can be taken to mean that progress on the abduction 
issue will not be included in the list of requirements for the 
 
TOKYO 00005272  008 OF 011 
 
 
delisting of North Korea." Assistant Secretary of State Hill, the US 
chief envoy to the six-party talks, has repeatedly said, "The 
president has the right to decide." The statement the president made 
this time can be taken to have hinted at removing North Korea from 
the US blacklist. 
 
Concerning North Korea, the prime minister chimed in with the 
president, stressing the importance of settling the abduction issue 
concurrently with the nuclear and missile issues. The same senior 
Foreign Ministry official said, "The statement means neither 
settling the nuclear issue first nor leaving the abduction issue 
behind." 
 
Regarding the six-party agreement, which includes improvement of 
relations between the US and North Korea and starting the work to 
take North Korea off the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, 
both leaders said, "We will implement the agreement in a balanced 
manner." This can also be taken as part of the parallel settlement 
policy. 
 
Referring to the new antiterrorism special measures bill aimed at 
enabling the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling operations in 
the Indian Ocean, the prime minister pledged, "I will do my best for 
early passage of the bill." The government and the ruling parties 
are now challenged to secure Diet passage for the bill even at the 
cost of further extending the Diet session, which is to end on Dec. 
¶15. 
 
9) Nonsupport tops support for 1st time 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
November 19, 2007 
 
Fuji TV, in its Hodo 2001 news show aired yesterday, released 
findings from its public opinion survey conducted Nov. 15 of 500 
persons aged 20 and over in the Tokyo area. In the poll, the Fukuda 
cabinet's disapproval rating (48.2 PERCENT ) topped its approval 
rating (45.6 PERCENT ) for the first time. The Fukuda cabinet's 
support rate is at its lowest since its Sept. 26 inauguration and 
was down 3 percentage points from the last poll taken Nov. 8. 
Meanwhile, the Fukuda cabinet's nonsupport rate was up 4.8 points, 
hitting a new high. 
 
The Fukuda cabinet's support rate was over 50 PERCENT  in past 
surveys. In the last poll, however, it fell below 50 PERCENT . The 
gap with the disapproval rating narrowed to about 5 points. 
 
10) Ozawa: They need to come to their senses 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Abridged) 
November 19, 2007 
 
Ichiro Ozawa, president of the leading opposition Democratic Party 
of Japan (Minshuto), appeared on Hodo 2001, a Fuji TV program aired 
yesterday, and he talked about various issues, such as the recent 
grand coalition initiative (for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party 
and the DPJ) and the government-introduced new antiterror 
legislation. 
 
Grand coalition initiative 
 
Ozawa: When I talked with Prime Minister (Yasuo) Fukuda, he told me 
 
TOKYO 00005272  009 OF 011 
 
 
that he would completely change the government's constitutional 
interpretation and security policy. That means it would be 
UN-centered, and that's our standpoint. We also talked about the new 
antiterrorism bill. He said, "I want this bill passed, but if it 
doesn't pass, there is nothing we can do about it." 
 
-- The prime minister is reportedly dwelling on the new antiterror 
legislation. 
 
Ozawa: He gave first consideration to forming a coalition. He said, 
"It can't be helped." Since there will be no coalition, he won't say 
whether it is better to be with or without one. 
 
-- Do you think the House of Representatives will be dissolved when 
the Diet deliberates on bills relating to the budget for next fiscal 
year? 
 
Ozawa: When it comes to legislative measures for budget execution, 
we will vote for those that are necessary for the nation's 
livelihood. However, we cannot but vote against those that differ 
from our policy. I don't know what the LDP's position is on that. 
 
-- What if the DPJ failed to get a majority in the next general 
election for the House of Representatives? 
 
Ozawa: We want to gain the leading position in the House of 
Representatives. There will then be a chance of our taking office. 
Then, we will form a coalition of opposition parties. 
 
-- What about the possibility of a coalition with the LDP? 
 
Ozawa: I don't think that's possible. Everybody says we will never 
choose (to form a grand coalition), so I think we will strive hard 
to win in the election. 
 
New antiterror legislation 
 
-- The prime minister promised to US President Bush that he would do 
his best to get the new antiterror bill through the Diet. Do you 
still remain committed to your own standpoint? 
 
Ozawa: That's the DPJ's stance. 
 
-- Do you see no negative impact on Japan-US relations? 
 
Ozawa: Japan has provided as much as 200 billion yen in aid to 
Afghanistan. Still some people say that without the refueling 
operations, Japan would have made no international contribution. 
Even in the United States, they say President Bush's policy was a 
mistake. They say only Japan faithfully cooperated, but even if it 
did not, it would not affect Japan-US relations. 
 
-- There are now calls for reextending the Diet session to pass the 
bill. 
 
Ozawa: We had to waste up to two months' time. That's because of the 
LDP's own circumstances (such as former Prime Minister Abe's 
resignation). The LDP and the government should now come to their 
senses to make a fresh start. 
 
11) Hatoyama underscores objection to new antiterror legislation, 
saying, "Diet deliberation must come before delivering on his pledge 
 
TOKYO 00005272  010 OF 011 
 
 
with the US" 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
November 18, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda during the recent Japan-US summit 
conveyed to President Bush his intention to enact the new 
antiterrorism legislation at an early date. Commenting on this, 
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) Secretary General Yukio 
Hatoyama on Nov. 17 once again stressed his party's stance of 
opposing the bill, noting, "The prime minister may have pledged to 
pass the bill, but the bill must be deliberated in the Diet. It is 
not necessary for the DPJ to change its basic policy." 
 
Concerning Bush's call for an overall liberalization of US beef 
imports, Hatoyama expressed concern, "If Japan opens its beef market 
in response to the US request, the safety of its food could be 
damaged." 
 
12) Ruling camp loses Osaka mayoralty race; Impact likely on Diet 
deliberations on new antiterrorism bill (Sankei) 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Excerpts) 
November 19, 2007 
 
With the loss of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and New 
Komeito-backed candidate in Osaka mayoralty race on the 18th - the 
first major election since the inauguration of the Fukuda 
administration - concern is growing in the ruling camp that the 
impact will fall on the deliberations in Diet on the new 
antiterrorism special measures legislation. It could also lead to a 
reassessment of the strategy of the ruling camp of constraining the 
opposition camp by dangling the possibility of dissolution of the 
Lower House and a snap election. The opposition camp is certain now 
to strengthen its pursuit of the Fukuda administration on the 
Defense Ministry-centered scandal and other issues. The government 
and the ruling parties have been driven into a tight corner. 
 
LDP Secretary General Ibuki issued this comment on the evening of 
the 19th: "The cause of the defeat was the LDP's inability to 
consolidate is support force. Although it will not have a direct 
effect on national policy, we take the results humbly." 
 
Both the ruling and opposition camps categorized the mayoralty race 
as a "preliminary skirmish before the next Lower House election." 
Since the LDP put in every effort to develop its campaign to the 
fullest, with Ibuki stumping twice in Osaka, the damage sustained is 
not insignificant. 
 
Although Prime Minister Fukuda stressed to President Bush in their 
summit meeting that he intended to put in every effort to pass the 
antiterrorism bill, the opposition camp in the Diet is now certain 
to toughen its position against the legislation. 
 
13) James Auer denies Moriya's testimony that he along with Nukaga 
had dined with former trading house executive 
 
SANKEI (Page 7) (Full) 
November 19, 2007 
 
Takashi Arimoto, Washington 
 
 
TOKYO 00005272  011 OF 011 
 
 
US Vanderbilt University Prof. James E. Auer, former Defense 
Department Japan Desk director, denied on Nov. 18 former 
Administrative Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya's Diet 
testimony that Auer had joined a meeting at a Japanese restaurant in 
Kanda, Tokyo, between Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga, former 
defense chief, and Motonobu Miyazaki, a former executive of the 
trading house Yamada Corp., who is now under arrest. The professor 
said: "I have met with Mr. Nukaga several times, but as far as I can 
recall, I never joined that meeting." 
 
Auer said that he was personally acquainted with Moriya and 
Miyazaki, but he underscored that he had never been involved in the 
selection of defense equipment and a defense equipment company for 
Japan. He said: "I have never worked on behalf of US and Japanese 
companies." 
 
Auer served as Defense Department Japan Desk director from 1979 to 
¶1988. After leaving the Defense Department, he has continued to 
research Japan-US security relations. 
 
SCHIEFFER