VZCZCXRO5909
PP RUEHFK
DE RUEHKO #5488 3410626
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 070626Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0106
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI//N541// PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA// PRIORITY
RUHBANB/OKINAWA FLD OFC US FORCES JAPAN CP BUTLER JA PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/USFJ  PRIORITY
INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 4808
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 8474
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0498
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1990
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 6553
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 7305
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS TOKYO 005488 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR, 
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM; 
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; 
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI; 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA; 
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE; 
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - IRAN AND RUSSIA 
 
 
LEAD STORIES: Most Thursday morning papers front-paged 
a decision by OPEC on Wednesday not to increase 
petroleum production at present. 
 
¶1. "Use NIE Report to Lead to Peaceful Resolution" The 
liberal Tokyo Shimbun editorialized (12/6): "President 
Bush's hard line against Iran may falter following the 
issuance of the latest National Intelligence Estimate 
(NIE) report. The Bush administration should take 
advantage of the release and come up with a 
comprehensive Iran policy aimed at avoiding 
confrontation through direct dialogue. Contact between 
the two countries is needed.... Iran bears the burden 
of proving that its nuclear program is for 'peaceful 
purposes.' An IAEA report published last month noted 
Tehran's uncooperative attitude. It is important for 
Iran to promptly sign an additional protocol to the NPT 
 
Treaty and offer unconditional and full cooperation to 
the nuclear watchdog." 
 
¶2. "Major Impact on Hardliners" The liberal Asahi's 
Washington correspondent wrote (12/06): "The release of 
 
the NIE report has had a major impact, given that its 
conclusion runs counter to the Bush administration's 
insistence that Iran's nuclear program poses a threat 
that cannot be overlooked. Criticism is also mounting 
that this is the second scandal involving incorrect 
information following allegations about Iraq's WMD 
programs in the run-up to the Iraq war.... Particularly 
 
problematic was Bush's warning in October of a possible 
 
'third world war.' If the president knew at that time 
that Tehran had already halted its nuclear-weapons 
program, we may see the emergence of another scandal in 
 
which the administration exaggerated intelligence." 
 
¶3. "Russia Must Not Return to Autocracy and Dogmatism" 
The liberal Mainichi stated (12/06): "The recent Duma 
elections turned out to be a 'vote for President 
Putin.'... It is not wrong for the Russian people, 
having endured economic chaos and poverty in the 
aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, to put 
stability first when they vote. However, as Russia's 
neighbor in East Asia, Japan is concerned about the 
possibility that Russia under President Putin might be 
moving away from democracy and in the direction of 
taking a confrontational attitude toward the U.S., 
Europe, and Japan. We hope that Putin, despite his 
enhanced political base, will not become dogmatic, nor 
take a hard line on such diplomatic issues as the 
territorial dispute over the Northern Territories." 
 
SCHIEFFER