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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 12 TOKYO 000394 
 
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 02/14/08 
 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
Okinawa incident: 
4) Ambassador Schieffer apologizes to Okinawa governor for the 
alleged rape incident, hands over personal letter to the victim and 
family  (Mainichi) 
5) Foreign Minister Koumura lodges protest with U.S. Ambassador 
Schieffer over rape incident in Okinawa, calls on U.S. to "take 
preventive measures seriously"  (Sankei) 
6) Ambassador Schieffer: U.S. military to tighten rules to prevent 
future incidents  (Asahi) 
7) Ambassador Schieffer calls the Okinawa incident "extremely 
painful" and promises full cooperation in resolving the alleged rape 
case  (Asahi) 
8) Citizens group protests rape incident near U.S. embassy  (Asahi) 
 
9) Reacting to Okinawa incident, Democratic Party of Japan head 
Ozawa calls for revision of Status of Forces Agreement  (Sankei) 
10) Misawa Air Base commander: "Sexual violence is unforgivable" 
(Asahi) 
11) Marine suspect denies that he raped the schoolgirl after she 
rejected his advances  (Asahi) 
 
Defense and security affairs: 
12) U.S., Russian military aircraft flying south of Japan have close 
encounter  (Mainichi) 
13) Tokyo carries out a late-night antiterrorist drill  (Tokyo 
Shimbun) 
14) Defense Ministry panel discusses Ishiba proposal of unifying 
military and civilian components in the ministry  (Mainichi) 
15) LDP starts study of permanent law for SDF overseas dispatch, 
focusing on issue of easing rules on use of weapons  (Yomiuri) 
 
Political agenda: 
16) Ruling parties decide to speed up passage of tax-related bills, 
including gasoline tax, without revisions  (Nikkei)    11 
17) Prime Minister Fukuda's appointment of new prime ministerial 
assistant not sitting well with some lawmakers in ruling camp 
(Yomiuri) 
18) LDP's Koga joining group going to Iwojima (Iwoto) to pay respect 
to soldiers who died in battle  (Mainichi) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Debate begins on lowering age of majority to 18 
 
Mainichi: 
Type of asbestos previously thought unused in Japan found in 14 
facilities as insulation, soundproofing 
 
Yomiuri: 
Livelihood panel proposes mechanism to seize profits unfairly 
obtained by malicious sales tactics 
 
Nikkei: 
 
TOKYO 00000394  002 OF 012 
 
 
Livelihood panel proposes unifying food labeling laws to display 
use-by dates 
 
Sankei: 
China's garbage increased 13-fold over last decade 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Justice Minister Hatoyama: "False accusation not appropriate in 
Shibushi incident" 
 
Akahata: 
7,000 people rally in Ginza, Kasumigaseki calling for elimination of 
poverty 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) U.S. presidential race heating up 
(2) Namdaemun gate fire 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Central Social Insurance Medical Council proposes medical fee 
hike 
(2) Relief measures for those suffering from violation of human 
rights by public power more important than human rights protection 
legislation 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Adulthood set at 18 in civil law and international standards 
(2) U.S. government must reinforce discipline at bases 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Is Kasumigaseki going to open or close Japan? 
(2) Treatment of hospital doctors needs to be improved 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Proposed medical fee hike not enough for hospital doctors 
(2) School textbooks for Japanese school in Shanghai seized: China 
needs to respect international rules 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Securities company executives arrested for manipulating stock 
prices 
(2) East Timor president attacked 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Road construction revenues must be incorporated into general 
account 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime minister's schedule, February 13 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
February 14, 2008 
 
09:26 
Visited the Keihin Branch Oguro Office of the Kawanishi Warehouse 
Co. in Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama. 
 
10:08 
Visited the imported food quarantine and inspection center in the 
 
TOKYO 00000394  003 OF 012 
 
 
Yokohama Quarantine Station in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama. 
 
11:0 7 
Visited the Yokohama Research Institute of the Japan Agency for 
Marine-Earth Science and Technology, with Senior Vice Science and 
Technology Minister Matsunami. 
 
12:03 
Met Yokohama Mayor Nakata at the Yokohama Grand International 
Continental Hotel. 
 
13:18 
Visited the Pacifico Yokohama in Nishi-ku to have a preliminary look 
for the TICAD meeting. 
 
14:01 
Arrived at his official residence. 
 
14:43 
Set up the signboard of the preparatory office for unification of 
consumer affairs administration in the Cabinet Office, with Senior 
Vice Minister Nakagawa of the Cabinet Office, Deputy Chief Cabinet 
Secretary Futahashi, and others. Later, visited the exhibition hall 
 
SIPDIS 
of panels related to Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea. 
 
15:00 
Issued an official appointment to Special Advisor Ito at the Kantei. 
Followed by Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura. Later, joined by 
Cabinet Intelligence Director Mitani. Followed by Futahashi and 
Assistant Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Saka. 
 
16:31 
Met Foreign Ministry Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Director 
General Saeki. Followed by Cabinet Office Special Advisor Okuda, 
Ito, Saka, and others. Later, met Deputy Foreign Minister Sasaki and 
Saeki. 
 
18:51 
Met Ito. 
 
19:23 
Met those who served as political section chief of press companies 
at a soba restaurant in Nagata-cho. 
 
21:53 
Returned to his official residence. 
 
4) U.S. envoy offers apologies for U.S. Marine's rape 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full) 
February 14, 2008 
 
 
Okinawa Gov. Nakaima, right, hands a letter of request to U.S. 
Ambassador to Japan Schieffer, left, during a meeting in the wake of 
an Okinawa-based U.S. Marine's rape of a junior high school girl. 
(Photo taken at 12:46 p.m., Feb. 13, by Takeshi Noda at the Okinawa 
prefectural government office) 
 
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Schieffer and U.S. Forces Japan Commander 
Wright called on Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima at the Okinawa 
prefectural government office yesterday afternoon and offered 
 
TOKYO 00000394  004 OF 012 
 
 
apologies for an Okinawa-based U.S. Marine's rape of a junior high 
school girl. 
 
"I regret the incident," Schieffer told Nakaima. "We will fully 
cooperate with the governor and investigative authorities," he 
added, "and we will do all we can to bring about justice." With 
this, he stressed his intention to take steps for the thoroughgoing 
prevention of a recurrence. He also said, "We hope the suffering of 
the victimized girl and family will be healed as early as possible." 
The ambassador entrusted the governor with a letter to the girl and 
her family. The governor handed a letter to the ambassador, 
requesting the U.S. government to disclose preventive measures to 
the people of Okinawa Prefecture. 
 
After that, Schieffer answered questions from reporters and 
clarified a plan to review the U.S. military's education of its 
personnel as a preventive step. Asked if the incident would affect 
the planned relocation of Futenma airfield, he only said, "I hope 
not, but if it (Futenma relocation) is affected, then we will 
respond accordingly." 
 
5) Koumura protests U.S. serviceman's rape to U.S. envoy, calls on 
"preventive steps to be taken seriously" 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
February 14, 2008 
 
Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura called in U.S. Ambassador to Japan 
Schieffer and U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) Commander Wright to the 
Foreign Ministry yesterday evening and lodged a strong protest 
against the rape of a junior high school girl in Okinawa. "We have 
asked the U.S. many times to enforce discipline," Koumura said. 
"Nevertheless," he went on, "the incident took place." He added: 
"It's very regrettable. I'd like to ask you to make earnest, 
continuous efforts to prevent such an incident from recurring." 
 
"Personally," Schieffer replied, "I'm very much shocked." He added: 
"It's very terrible that a 14-year-old girl is victimized in an 
incident like this. I want to convey our heartfelt regret to the 
Japanese people." With this, he indicated that the United States 
would fully cooperate to investigate the incident. 
 
"I want you to review the preventive measures you've taken in the 
past to see if they were effective," Koumura said. In response, 
Wright said: "The incident is very heartbreaking. I have ordered 
that we check our educational programs in the past." 
 
According to the Foreign Ministry, USFJ provides educational 
programs, such as: 1) U.S. servicemen, after their arrival in Japan, 
will be provided with a training course of sessions on the 
Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and Okinawa's culture 
before their base assignments; 2) base commanders will brief those 
newly assigned personnel on principles and rules; and 3) base 
commanders will periodically meet to share information about 
incidents and accidents and discuss preventive measures. In Okinawa, 
U.S. military authorities patrol downtown areas where trouble can 
easily occur, according to the Foreign Ministry. 
 
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Rice will shortly visit Japan. 
She is scheduled to arrive in Japan on Feb. 27 after attending the 
newly South Korean president's inaugural ceremony to be held in 
Seoul. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda will meet with her and request 
 
TOKYO 00000394  005 OF 012 
 
 
preventive measures. 
 
6) U.S. Ambassador expresses plans to tighten discipline among U.S. 
military personnel, possibly including strengthened curfew 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Full) 
February 14, 2008 
 
Atsuko Niwa 
 
Unites States Ambassador to Japan J. Thomas Schieffer yesterday met 
with Foreign Minister Koumura at his ministry and declared that in 
response to the recent alleged rape of a junior high school girl by 
a U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa, the U.S. will review and enforce 
tighter discipline among U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) in all respects. 
The U.S. will review the educational programs and measures to 
prevent a recurrence of similar incidents that are provided 
separately by the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. 
Also, the U.S. will review quickly such plans as to tighten curfew 
for military personnel, their dependents and American base workers. 
Stricter conditions for military personnel to live off-base will be 
imposed, given that the rape suspect lives off-base. 
 
Schieffer briefed Koumura on an outline of the review. After the 
session, the Ambassador told reporters: "The measures we have taken 
to prevent sexual harassment and sexual violence will be reviewed 
and further tightened." The Ambassador went on to say that the 
"discipline not only for the Marines but also for (the Army, Navy, 
and Air Force) will also be reviewed in all respects." 
 
According to one U.S. Embassy official, the U.S. will tighten 
discipline for USFJ separately from the general discipline the 
Department of Defense (DOD) sets for U.S. military personnel 
stationed abroad. As to when the new measures that will be formed 
after discussion with DOD will be put into practice, this official 
said: "It is unknown, but it will be handled as a top priority 
matter." 
 
Because there is no end to sexual crimes committed by U.S. military 
personnel stationed in Japan, the U.S. has now concluded that the 
current preventive measures are insufficient. However, how to 
tighten the current measures in concrete terms has yet to be made 
clear. Attention is focused on whether the U.S. can come up with a 
fresh set of effective measures. 
 
The current measures are offered separately by the Army, Navy, Air 
Force, and Marine Corps.  The measures consist mainly of two parts: 
(1) educational programs and (2) measures to prevent accidents and 
crimes. Under educational programs, U.S. military personnel at the 
sergeant-1st-class rank or below (and all Marines) who arrive in 
Japan without family receive lectures about the Japan-U.S. Status of 
Forces Agreement (SOFA) and Okinawan culture before they are 
installed in their posts. 
 
The preventive measures include the "liberty card system," under 
which various colors of cards are issued to young U.S. military 
personnel to restrict their going off-base at night and the 
"off-limits," which temporarily bans U.S. military personnel from 
visiting certain areas and shops where problems frequently take 
place. In order to prevent accidents and incidents relating to 
drinking, military service members at the staff sergeant rank or 
below who are stationed without family and whose term of service in 
 
TOKYO 00000394  006 OF 012 
 
 
Japan is less than one year are prohibited from possessing personal 
vehicles and driving. Also, restrictions are imposed on the kinds of 
liquor and the amount of liquor they can drink. 
 
Major steps taken by USFJ to prevent accidents and incidents 
 
Educational program 
 
? Arrival program (All Marines are obligated to take lectures about 
SOFA and Okinawan culture) 
? Unit orientation (The commander of each unit briefs new arrivals 
on discipline and rules.) 
? Regular meeting of unit commanders (Information about accidents 
and incidents are shared and preventive measures are discussed.) 
 
Measures to prevent accidents and incidents 
 
? Restrictions on leaving bases at night (Liberty card system). The 
red card is usually given to all Marines at the sergeant rank or 
below. They are banned from being off-base from midnight until 5:00 
a.m. except for official duties. 
? A temporary nighttime curfew for military personnel 
? Ban on visiting certain areas or shops temporarily (Off-limits) 
? Military officers in civilian clothing patrol the shopping and 
entertainment districts and give military personnel daily guidance. 
? Soldiers who arrived at their posts without family are banned from 
possessing personal vehicles and driving, and the kinds of liquor 
they can drink and the amount are limited. 
 
7) U.S. Ambassador Schieffer on rape incident: Such are always 
"extremely painful"; Promises full cooperation 
 
ASAHI (Page 34) (Full) 
February 14, 2008 
 
In response to the alleged rape of a junior high school girl by a 
U.S. Marine Corps staff sergeant in Okinawa, Foreign Minister 
Masahiko Koumura met U.S. Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer at 
the Foreign Ministry yesterday. Koumura requested that the U.S. make 
serious and continuous efforts toward tightening discipline and 
preventing a recurrence of similar incidents. In response, the 
ambassador indicated the U.S. would offer full cooperation, saying: 
"Whether it is in Japan or the United States, this kind of incident 
is extremely painful." 
 
After his meeting with Koumura, Ambassador Schieffer met the press 
and said: "All military personnel in Japan feel sorry and distressed 
by this. .... All Americans in Japan, no matter whether they are 
military personnel or not, and particularly, those parents who have 
children feel saddened and pained." He stressed that his heart went 
out to the victim and her family. 
 
After arriving in Okinawa, Senior Vice Foreign Minister Itsunori 
Onodera met Marine Corps Bases Japan Commander Lt. General Zilmer at 
the ministry's Okinawa office in Naha yesterday and asked the U.S. 
to take necessary measures to enforce tighter discipline among 
service members and to prevent a recurrence of similar crimes. 
Zilmer replied: "We take the situation seriously. We will do our 
utmost to strictly enforce discipline and prevent a recurrence of 
incidents." 
 
Onodera reportedly stressed the need for a thorough education 
 
TOKYO 00000394  007 OF 012 
 
 
program for U.S. military servicemen, remarking: "Some (among those 
related to the U.S. military) might still have the wrong feeling 
that Okinawa is a territory under occupation. I want you to 
undertake a complete education program." 
 
Onodera also met Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima at the 
prefectural government office. Nakaima handed a letter addressed to 
Foreign Minister Koumura over to Onodera. 
 
The letter expressed regret over the alleged rape incident and asked 
the Foreign Ministry to work on the U.S. side to publicize the 
details of the effective steps it will take to prevent a recurrence 
of crimes. 
 
8) Citizens group gathers near U.S. Embassy to protest rape 
incident 
 
ASAHI (Page 34) (Full) 
February 14, 2008 
 
In protest against the alleged rape incident of a junior high school 
student by a U.S. Marine in Okinawa, about 40 people gathered near 
the U.S. Embassy in Minato Ward, Tokyo, yesterday, to demand an 
apology by President Bush and a removal of U.S. bases from Japan. 
 
Putting up a placard, the demonstrators shouted: "We never forgive 
crimes committed by U.S. soldiers;" and "How long will these same 
things go on?" They also read letters of protest in front of the 
embassy and then handed the letters over to an embassy staff 
member. 
 
Miho Nagahashi, 59, from Niho City, Tokyo, was enraged: "The 
repetition of this kind of incident angers me. Similar incidents 
have occurred many times, but looking at the responses made by Japan 
and the U.S., I can't help feeling that similar crimes could happen 
any time. I want the U.S. military to withdraw from Japan." 
 
9) DPJ Ozawa expresses willingness to revise Japan-U.S. Status of 
Forces Agreement 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
February 14, 2008 
 
In reference to the alleged rape of a junior high school girl by a 
U.S. Marine Crops staff sergeant in Okinawa, Democratic Party of 
Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa stated in an interview in Oyama 
City, Tochigi Prefecture, that his party would launch a discussion 
on revising the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement. He said: "It 
is important to revise the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement and 
establish a system under which Japan can deal with crimes (committed 
by U.S. military personnel) under equal judicial procedures." 
 
10) "Sexual assault is unforgivable," says Misawa Air Base 
commander 
 
ASAHI (Page 34) (Full) 
February 14, 2008 
 
Following the rape of a middle school girl in Okinawa by a U.S. 
Marine, Misawa Air Base Commander O'Shaughnessy sent to commanders 
of all units a message noting that sexual assault is intolerable. 
The message was sent by e-mail or in written form. 
 
TOKYO 00000394  008 OF 012 
 
 
 
According to the press office of Misawa Air Base, the message was 
sent on the evening of Feb. 12, seeking stronger discipline from all 
U.S. military sources, including civilians working at the base. 
 
Unit commanders were asked to confirm that all the troops read the 
message. 
 
11) U.S. Marine denies rape 
 
ASAHI (Page 34) (Full) 
February 14, 2008 
 
U.S. Marine Corps staff sergeant Tyrone Hadnott, 38, based in 
Okinawa, has been arrested on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old 
middle school girl. Hadnott stated during questioning by Okinawa 
Prefectural Police that while he sought a sexual relationship with 
her, she rejected his advances, and he did not assault her, Asahi 
Shimbun has learned. The prefectural police are carefully 
investigating the incident, by analyzing the car and a jumper they 
seized from the suspect's house. 
 
Hadnott was arrested around 10:35 p.m. on Feb. 10 on suspicion of 
raping the girl in a car parked on the road. He has so far admitted 
to pressing himself against her and touching her in the car. 
However, the police said that he is denying the charges, saying, 
"She refused my advances, and I did not force myself on her." 
 
Regarding the allegation that he took the girl to his house by 
motorcycle after meeting her in Okinawa City and then drove her 
around afterward, Hadnott explained: "I did not force her. She did 
not appear to be upset." He also allegedly said, "I did not do 
anything to threaten her." 
 
However, the prefectural police suspect that the terrified girl 
sought help from her friend by cell-phone and tried to escape while 
she was in his car. 
 
12) U.S., Russian warplanes in close encounters 
 
MAINICHI (Page 3) (Full) 
February 14, 2008 
 
WASHINGTON-A U.S. fighter jet intercepts a huge Russian bomber -- 
the U.S. Navy has released an Associated Press (AP) photo of that 
scene. On Feb. 9, U.S. and Russian forces were engaged in close 
encounters over the sea south of Japan, a U.S. military official 
testified before Congress on Feb. 12. The scene is reminiscent of 
the coldest days of the Cold War. 
 
According to the official, four Russian Tupolev 95 (Tu-95) bombers 
flew at a low altitude over the USS Nimitz, a U.S. nuclear-powered 
aircraft carrier, when she was on a training mission. The flattop 
scrambled four F-18 fighter jets to intercept them as one of them 
buzzed her. On Feb. 9, a Russian bomber violated Japan's airspace 
over the sea south of the Izu Islands. The U.S. military believes 
that the airspace violator is one of those four Russian bombers. The 
official voiced concern, saying the Russian air force is now as 
active as it was in the Cold War. 
 
13) Midnight terrorist attack drill at Tokyo Station 
 
 
TOKYO 00000394  009 OF 012 
 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Full) 
February 14, 2008 
 
In the run-up to the Group of Eight Summit (G-8), the Tokyo 
Metropolitan Police Department and the Tokyo Fire Department 
conducted a joint drill assuming that the Shinkansen has been 
attacked by terrorists. The drill took place on the Tokaido 
Shinkansen tracks at JR Tokyo Station from the night of Feb. 13 
through early morning of the 14th. 
 
The no. 16 track and a real bullet train carriage were used for the 
drill. The drill was conducted based on the assumption that many 
passengers had collapsed in a running bullet train bound for Tokyo 
Station. Fire fighters in protective suits rescued seriously injured 
persons after evacuating other passengers. Then the public security 
mobile investigation squad of the Tokyo police, which specializes in 
nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) attacks, determined that the 
suspicious object was sarin, and recovered the object. Riot 
policemen then washed the car. 
 
The Tokyo police view that the main battlefield for security for the 
G-8 is Tokyo. They are conducting antiterrorism drills and 
strengthening cooperation with private companies. 
 
14) Defense Ministry's reform council debates unification of 
civilian and uniformed groups in the ministry 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
February 14, 2008 
 
The Defense Ministry's Reform Council (chaired by Naoya Minami, 
advisor to Tokyo Electric Co.) held its fifth meeting yesterday at 
the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) and focused its 
discussion mainly on the private proposal of Defense Minister 
Shigeru Ishiba, who proposes a structural unification of the 
internal bureaus (civilian group) and the ground, maritime, and air 
forces (uniformed group). 
 
The Ishiba proposal would reorganize the internal bureaus and the 
Self-Defense Forces (SDF) into three components: "building defense 
capabilities"; "operations"; and "public relations, including Diet 
deliberations and briefings." The aim is to change the current 
situation in which the internal bureaus have predominance over the 
SDF, as well as to establish civilian control by politicians. In the 
meeting, such views were expressed as: "We should first make it 
clear what kind of inadequacies exist in the current set up." 
 
15) LDP starts studying SDF dispatch permanent law; Relaxing 
weapons-use rules a likely point of contention 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Abridged slightly) 
February 14, 2008 
 
The Liberal Democratic Party's joint taskforce on permanent 
legislation on international cooperation, chaired by former LDP Vice 
President Taku Yamasaki, met yesterday and started studying the 
possibility of a permanent law governing the overseas dispatch of 
the Self-Defense Forces. The LDP and the New Komeito intend to 
launch their project team as early as Feb. 27 with an eye on the new 
Antiterrorism Special Measures Law, scheduled to expire in January 
¶2009. The LDP intends to submit a bill to the current Diet session. 
The party also plans to establish a dialogue with the major 
 
TOKYO 00000394  010 OF 012 
 
 
opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) to discuss 
the subject. 
 
At yesterday's meeting, Yamasaki said: 
 
"We would like to pave the way for a permanent law so that our 
international contributions will not end with the expiration of the 
new antiterrorism law. We want to a complete plan during the current 
Diet session for deliberations." 
 
The current Antiterrorism Special Measures Law stipulating the 
Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean 
is temporary legislation good only for one year. There is a view in 
the ruling camp that establishing a permanent law is more pragmatic 
than repeatedly enacting time-limited special measures laws. In 
order to enact the law in the next extraordinary Diet session the 
fall, the contents of the planned bill must be nailed down during 
the current session. 
 
Chances are becoming stronger that the battle between the ruling and 
opposition camps over the maintenance of the provisional tax rate on 
gasoline will be settled in March. Focusing on a permanent dispatch 
law, the government and ruling coalition want to launch a framework 
for policy talks with the DPJ in April if possible. Yamasaki 
expressed his eagerness to hold talks with the DPJ before submitting 
a bill. Once a bill is presented, calls for extending the current 
Diet session beyond the June 15 expiry are likely to grow stronger. 
 
Some DPJ lawmakers, mostly conservative members, hold positive views 
toward permanent legislation. One ruling party member said: "Even if 
the DPJ does not respond to our call for talks on permanent 
legislation, we can shake up the largest opposition party." 
 
Easing the rules on the use of weapons would be the biggest bone of 
contention in discussing the permanent legislation. SDF personnel on 
overseas missions are allowed to use weapons only for justifiable 
defense and purposes. There is a view in the LDP that in the event 
foreign troops in the same operation or UN personnel are attacked, 
the SDF should be allowed to rush over and use weapons to provide 
protection for them. 
 
The ruling and opposition camps are deeply divided on whether to 
require a UN resolution for SDF dispatch. The dominant view in the 
ruling and ruling camp is that the government should be allowed to 
make decisions independently on sending SDF troops in compliance 
with requests from other countries even without UN resolutions. 
 
16) Ruling coalition to forgo revision of provisional tax rates bill 
in Lower House 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
February 14, 2008 
 
The ruling parties decided yesterday on a policy of forgoing a 
modification in the House of Representatives of a bill revising the 
Special Taxation Measures Law, which includes measures to retain the 
current provisional rates for gasoline and other road-related taxes, 
the main focus of attention in the current Diet session. They are 
determined that the environment has not been created for them and 
the main opposition Democratic Party (DPJ or Minshuto) to hold talks 
on revising the government's bill. While considering a revision of 
the bill in the House of Councillors, the ruling coalition 
 
TOKYO 00000394  011 OF 012 
 
 
prioritizes passing the bill through the Lower House before the end 
of the current fiscal year. Since a battle over the scheduling of 
deliberations is intensifying between the ruling and opposition 
camps, there is no mood for holding a dialogue. 
 
LDP Deputy Secretary General Hiroyuki Hosoda expressed strong 
suspicion about the DPJ's work of drafting its own bill, 
counterproposals toward the government's bill, saying: "I wonder 
about the logical compatibilities in their bill." 
 
In a meeting yesterday of its shadow cabinet, the DPJ adopted an 
interim report on a bill to reform the provisional taxation system, 
which stipulates that the special account of road-related taxes 
should be integrated into the general account and that measures 
should be created to cover local government's revenue shortfall 
stemming from abolition of the provisional tax rates. The main 
feature of the bill is to create measures to cover the tax revenue 
shortfall in local governments -- about 900 billion yen -- due to 
abolition of subsidies for projects from the government. Hosoda, 
however, said: "It is impossible to start implementing such measures 
in April." 
 
The LDP leadership is concerned that the DPJ may prevent the bill 
from clearing the Diet before the end of this fiscal year by gaining 
time with consultations on revising the bill. Therefore, the DPJ 
began taking a strategy of placing priority on promotion of 
deliberations with an eye on the bill's passage by the Lower House 
in February. 
 
The four opposition parties -- the DPJ, Japanese Communist Party, 
Social Democratic Party, and People's New Party -- affirmed in a 
meeting of their Diet affair chiefs that they would oppose a plan to 
begin this week deliberations on the government's bill. Referring to 
the fact that the ruling coalition proposed a deliberation on a 
revision on the government's bill, as well as on the fiscal 2008 
budget bill, the DPJ's Yamaoka said in a press conference: "It's 
impossible." 
 
As a result, the ruling camp agreed in a meeting of the Lower House 
Steering Committee last evening to start deliberations on the 19th, 
giving up its plan to being this week. The Lower House Financial 
Affairs Committee will state debate on the 20th. However, senior 
ruling coalition member expressed displeasure, saying: "It will be 
very difficult to get the bill passed by the Lower House before the 
end of February" with and eye on Diet testimony by unsworn witnesses 
and public hearings. 
 
17) Prime Minister Fukuda appoints Tatsuya Ito as his special 
advisor on social security issues to secure solid political 
foothold; Possibility of creating discord 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Slightly abridged) 
February 14, 2008 
 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda yesterday appointed former Financial 
Services Minister Tatsuya Ito, a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 
lawmaker, as his special advisor on social security and handed a 
written appointment to him. For Fukuda, who appointed last September 
when he took office, most of the Prime Minister's Office (Kantei) 
staff, whom former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had picked, it was the 
first time to appoint a special advisor, who acts as a most useful 
second. It seems that he has finally gained his political footing 
 
TOKYO 00000394  012 OF 012 
 
 
for the leadership under his office after nearly five months after 
taking office. 
 
Since last December, Fukuda appointed former Japan Business 
Federation Chairman Hiroshi Okuda as special advisor to the cabinet 
(naikaku-tokubetsu-komon), and former Ambassador on Global 
Environment Mutsuyoshi Nishimura and Kazumasa Kusaka as special 
advisors to the cabinet (naikaku-kanbo-sanyo). With the appointment 
of Ito as his special advisor, Fukuda has finally filled the key 
posts in the Kantei. 
 
Fukuda set up the post of special advisor on social security issues, 
aiming at restoring public confidence in his cabinet by plying up 
its effort to review the entire social security policy, including 
the pension systems. Ito was chosen because he is a policy 
specialist but he will keep at arm's length the social 
security-related offices, according to a government official. Fukuda 
told reporters last night: "I think he is an appropriate person to 
serve in the post since he knows well the structure of government 
and social security issues." 
 
Ito will be also responsible for managing the government's National 
Council on Social Security, as well as offering views to Fukuda. The 
Prime Minister expects him to support Health, Labor and Welfare 
Minister Yoichi Masuzoe based on his experience of bringing an 
agreement between the government and ruling parties last August on 
the pension-records fiasco. 
 
However, Ito is believed to have close ties with former Economic and 
Fiscal Policy Minister Heizo Takenaka, who promoted a structural 
reform policy in the former Koizumi government. He and former LDP 
Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa share a policy that the fiscal 
 
SIPDIS 
system should be reconstructed through economic growth and cutting 
expenditures, not by increasing taxes. Therefore, some said that 
Nakagawa might have recommended him to Fukuda. There is a view that 
Nakagawa may strengthen influence over a battle over whether to hike 
the consumption tax since Ito will manage the National Council on 
Social Security, which also discusses the fiscal resources issue. 
 
18) Koga travels to Iwojima (Iwoto) to attend memorial ceremony for 
those who fell in battle 
 
MAINICHI (Full) (Page 5) 
February 14, 2008 
 
Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Makoto Koga, who chairs the 
party's election steering committee, visited Iwoto (Ogasawara 
Village, Tokyo) to pay respects to the spirits of those who fell in 
battle on behalf of the Japan Association of Bereaved Families of 
the War Dead, which Koga chairs. He there participated in the 
ceremony for the war dead. Since the reversion of the island to 
Japan in 1968, the association has paid its respects there 12 times, 
but this is the first time for the current chairperson to make the 
trip. 
 
SCHIEFFER