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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 8749

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TOKYO 000627 
 
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 03/10/08 
 
 
INDEX: 
(1) Question of revising SOFA lingers on (Mainichi) 
 
(2) U.S. military taskforce to work out recurrence prevention plan, 
focusing on sex crimes (Okinawa Times) 
 
(3) MOD conveys to U.S. one-year delay in implementation of 
environmental impact assessment regarding construction of alternate 
facility for Futenma airfield (Ryukyu Shimpo) 
 
(4) Editorial: Cool-headed debate essential without reacting to 
provocation (Nikkei) 
 
(5) Japan, China to hold small-scale dialogue on Southeast Asia, 
Africa (Nikkei) 
 
 ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Question of revising SOFA lingers on 
 
MAINICHI (Page 3) (Abridged) 
March 9, 2008 
 
By Mimori, Ueno, and Furumoto 
 
It will be one month on March 10 since a U.S. Marine in Okinawa was 
arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a local junior high 
school girl. During this period, Tokyo and Washington have 
endeavored to prevent the incident from negatively affecting the 
Japan-U.S. Forces of Status Agreement (SOFA), but they have yet to 
come up with any decisive steps to prevent a recurrence. Meanwhile, 
Tokyo and Washington have reiterated their intention to implement 
the Futenma relocation plan, which is supposed to reduce the burden 
on Okinawa, as was agreed upon as part of U.S. force realignment. 
The ongoing plans to relocate the U.S. Marines to Guam and fighter 
jet training clearly tell that U.S. force realignment is essentially 
designed to enhance U.S. deterrence. 
 
A working team composed of some 50 representatives of the U.S. 
military, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Okinawa prefectural 
and municipal governments met at the MOFA Naha office on March 7. In 
the session, Okinawa prefectural police international crime division 
chief Satoshi Shimabukuro categorically said: "The idea of 
conducting joint patrols is unacceptable." 
 
In the wake of the alleged sexual assault against a junior high 
school girl (Naha district prosecutors dropped charges against the 
U.S. Marine following the girl's decision to withdraw the accusation 
against him, but the U.S. military is still investigating the 
incident), the U.S. military implemented a lockdown prohibiting all 
U.S. service members in Okinawa from leaving their base. Despite 
that, U.S. service members continued committing misconduct, such as 
trespassing in a private house. As the next step, Tokyo and 
Washington have come up with the idea of joint patrols by Japanese 
police and the U.S. military. 
 
But the Okinawa Prefectural Police objected to the plan. The reason 
is that the SOFA Japan-U.S. Joint Committee agreement provides that 
when both U.S. military police officers and Japanese law enforcement 
officers are at the same crime scene, an arrest must be made by the 
U.S. military. 
 
 
TOKYO 00000627  002 OF 007 
 
 
There is another plan to conduct joint patrols with regular military 
service members giving "guidance" instead of military police 
officers who have investigative authority. The prefectural police 
have also rejected this plan, saying that once U.S. military police 
officers arrive at a scene while a suspect is being questioned by 
Japanese police officers, he would be placed in U.S. military 
custody. Many think the SOFA must be revised in order to conduct 
joint patrols. 
 
Reviewing the SOFA is the last thing the governments of Japan and 
the United States want. They fear that once the pact with Japan is 
revised, it would have endless implications, affecting agreements 
with other countries. The U.S. military's refusal to hand the 
suspects of the 1995 schoolgirl rape over to Japan before indictment 
on the strength of the SOFA set off strong demand for the pact's 
revision. In the wake of the latest incident, Tokyo and Washington 
have desperately tried to make a clear distinction with the SOFA, 
explaining that the suspect was detained by the Japanese side. 
 
When U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Japan on Feb. 
27, she asked Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to bring the curtain down 
on the incident. The Rice visit has been followed by a number of 
cases of misconduct by U.S. service members, pushing the question of 
revising the SOFA to the forefront. 
 
Frustrated, U.S. Consul General in Okinawa Kevin Maher held a press 
conference on March 6, in which he revealed a plan to deal with the 
situation by improving the application of the pact, saying: "If 
there are points that are not clear over the question of which side 
will make arrests, I think that can be made clear in talks of the 
U.S.-Japan Joint Committee." Maher also said: "That will not lead to 
a review of the SOFA." 
 
The Foreign Ministry is reluctant to even improve the application of 
the pact, with one official saying: "Joint patrols have been 
conducted since 1994 in areas near Yokosuka Naval Base, but the 
Kanagawa Prefectural Police have not complained about the 
practice." 
 
Between fiscal 2002 and 2006, U.S. service members were involved in 
9,193 incidents and accidents across Japan. Of them 5,193 cases, or 
56 PERCENT , took place in Okinawa. A senior Okinawa prefectural 
police officer said: "The U.S. military's top priority is protecting 
American citizens. Even if the two governments decide to improve the 
application of the agreement, that would not be implemented out in 
the field. Conducting joint patrols is an armchair plan." There is 
growing momentum to revise the SOFA. 
 
Apart from the two governments' efforts to prevent crimes by U.S. 
servicemen in Japan that are akin to a cat-and-mouse game, U.S. 
force realignment is making steady headways. 
 
The U.S. Marine Corps command and some 8,000 Marines will be 
relocated from Okinawa to Guam, which is one of the areas whose base 
functions will be significantly strengthened as part of U.S. force 
realignment. 
 
When we visited the island in February, 18 spots on Andersen Air 
Force Base were under construction. A huge hangar for B-22 stealth 
bombers has already been constructed. Construction work for a hangar 
for Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft has also begun. The 
nuclear-powered submarine Ohio refitted with Tomahawk cruise 
 
TOKYO 00000627  003 OF 007 
 
 
missiles has also been deployed to Apra Naval Base. 
 
Enhancing base functions is aimed at turning Guam into a fortress to 
counter China's rapid military buildup, according to a senior MOD 
official. The Japanese government will contribute 2.8 billion 
dollars (approximately 290 billion yen) for the relocation of U.S. 
Marine Corps headquarters from Okinawa to Guam. In addition, Japan 
will contribute 3.29 billion dollars (approximately 340 billion yen) 
for constructing military housing on the island. 
 
In return, the U.S. military will increase joint exercises with 
Japan on Guam. The relocation of the U.S. Marines, which is 
ostensibly designed to alleviate the burden on Okinawa, is actually 
a step to integrate the U.S. military with the Self-Defense Forces 
with an eye on China. 
 
Relocating F-15 training is another step to "lessen the burden on 
Okinawa." Since last March, F-15s based at Kadena Air Base have 
conducted training at four ASDF bases in mainland Japan for a total 
of 14 days. 
 
But according to the Kadena base affairs division, greater noise 
levels were recorded on 11 days of those 14 days. Kadena base has 53 
F-15 fighters, and of them, two to five jets took part in the 
training each time. Noise levels have not been reduced, because 
training is carried out by the remaining aircraft. 
 
Five additional training sessions were conducted at bases on 
mainland Japan, which did not have direct bearing on Okinawa. 
Relocation is not designed to alleviate the burden on Okinawa but to 
increase Japan-U.S. joint training. 
 
Before leaving his post, USFJ Commander Lt. Gen. Bruce Wright Bruce 
called on Defense Minister Ishiba on February 21 and praised the 
significance of training relocation as increasing the 
interoperability of the U.S.-Japan alliance. 
 
(2) U.S. military taskforce to work out recurrence prevention plan, 
focusing on sex crimes 
 
OKINAWA TIMES (Page 1) (Full) 
March 8, 2008 
 
In the wake of an Okinawa-based U.S. serviceman's (alleged) rape of 
a junior high school girl, U.S. Forces Japan's sexual assault 
prevention and response task force will work out a recurrence 
prevention plan in April, sources revealed yesterday. The Foreign 
Ministry held the 16th meeting of a working team at its Okinawa 
office to discuss measures to prevent incidents and accidents 
involving U.S. military personnel, and the U.S. military reported 
its plan in that closed-door meeting. Hideaki Kuramitsu, deputy 
chief of the Foreign Ministry's Okinawa office, presided over the 
meeting and revealed the task force's course of action in a press 
briefing after that. 
 
The working team also discussed arrest authority. In the meeting, 
Osamu Izawa, director of the Foreign Ministry Status of U.S. Forces 
Agreement Division, said this issue could be coordinated at the 
Japan-U.S. Joint Committee. Kuramitsu said Izawa indicated in the 
meeting that it would be possible to respond to this issue by 
improving the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement's 
implementation. 
 
TOKYO 00000627  004 OF 007 
 
 
 
According to Kuramitsu, the U.S. military outlined the task force 
that was set up last month, and the U.S. military also introduced 
its current educational programs. The task force, headed by Chief of 
Staff Stackpole at Yokota Air Base headquarters, is made up of about 
15 military personnel. Kuramitsu said the task force would make the 
rounds of U.S. military bases in Japan to work out sexual crime 
prevention steps. 
 
Kuramitsu said: "The Foreign Ministry will introduce local voices to 
the working team, and the office of the U.S. military's Okinawa area 
coordinator will convey the local views to the task force. The U.S. 
military says that they will go through a process of four to six 
weeks, so it will take at least more than one month (to announce a 
recurrence prevention plan)." The task force is expected arrive in 
Okinawa next week. The U.S. military gave no explanations about the 
task force's detailed schedule or how to prevent similar incidents, 
according to Kuramitsu. 
 
Kuramitsu also said the working team discussed the advisability of 
conducting bilateral joint patrols and installing security cameras, 
as well as U.S. military personnel's off-base living. However, he 
did not reveal details about what the working team discussed in the 
meeting. "The working team unanimously agreed that we will not 
disclose details in order to exchange free and vigorous views," he 
said. 
 
(3) MOD conveys to U.S. one-year delay in implementation of 
environmental impact assessment regarding construction of alternate 
facility for Futenma airfield 
 
RYUKYU SHIMPO (Page 1) (Abridged) 
March 9, 2008 
 
Takumi Takimoto 
 
The Ministry of Defense (MOD) as of March 8 informed the United 
States that an environmental impact assessment (EIS) regarding a sea 
area planned for the construction of an alternate facility for the 
U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station will be completed, but one 
year behind the initial schedule. The reason is that it became 
impossible to conduct a winter survey, which MOD planned to conduct 
in February. This delay has forced MOD to delay filing an 
application for reclamation work, which was initially planned for 
August 2009, to around August 2010, several months before the next 
gubernatorial election. Despite this, MOD says the construction of 
an alternative facility will be completed by 2014 as agreed on by 
Japan and the U.S. by shortening work periods. But given possible 
difficulties in obtaining permission for reclamation work in terms 
of the gubernatorial election, the construction may be delayed. This 
delay may affect the implementation of overall realignment plans for 
U.S. forces. 
 
During working-level talks of Japanese and U.S. officials held in 
Okinawa Prefecture on March 6, the Japanese side came up with a new 
schedule for an EIS and briefed the U.S. side about the current 
situation. 
 
MOD's initial plan about the EIS was that it would launch a winter 
survey in February and would present, in August of this year, 
preparatory papers, a next-stage step that would come after a manual 
for an EIS is prepared, in the way in which the results of the past 
 
TOKYO 00000627  005 OF 007 
 
 
environment surveys would be included. 
 
However, Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima pointed out flaws in the EIS 
manual in remarks attached to the manual and called on MOD to 
rewrite the manual. In order to faithfully respond to the governor's 
advice, MOD decided to rewrite the manual, even though doing so is 
not obligatory in view of the EIS proceedings, and MOD supplemented 
the manual. 
 
MOD wanted to launch the winter survey in February in the form of a 
prior survey while rewriting the manual, but the prefectural 
government did not budge from the position that it would not allow 
MOD to conduct any survey before the manual was completed; as a 
result, MOD was unable to conduct the survey in February. 
 
(4) Editorial: Cool-headed debate essential without reacting to 
provocation 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 9, 2008 
 
We can't call Sea Shepherd a group of environmental activists, for 
they attacked the Japanese research whaling ship Nisshin Maru and 
injured some crew members. They have repeated attacks against ships 
and acts of piracy, both of which have nothing to do with protection 
of the environment. This outlaw group should be clearly 
distinguished from many other environmental organizations that are 
working in earnest and lawfully for environmental conservation. 
 
A recent series of acts by the group is apparently in violation of 
international law. In order to prevent even more serious damage from 
being caused in the future, it is imperative to thoroughly 
investigate and shed light on those acts as habitual acts of piracy. 
The challenge for the Japanese government in this context is how to 
call on the U.S., where the group's headquarters is located, 
Australia, where the group has a base for its activities, and the 
Netherlands, where the group has registered its ship, to cooperate 
on an investigation as well as measures to prevent recurrences. 
 
The governments of the U.S., Australia, and the Netherlands are all 
opposed to whaling, but Japan should ask them to handle the recent 
acts of attacks by Sea Shepherd against the Japanese vessel as a 
criminal case. Sea Shepherd has made its unlawful acts look like a 
noble mission and has used them to raise funds for their activities. 
But Japan must not be caught in such a trap. 
 
We have asserted that the whaling issue must be discussed from a 
scientific point of view without any assumptions or mud-slinging for 
the sake of protecting and using the marine ecosystem in a 
sustainable manner. After much discussion in the past years, the 
International Whaling Commission's IWC) Scientific Committee has 
created a mechanism for commercial whaling. 
 
This mechanism consists of the revised management scheme (RMS) and 
the revised management procedures (RMP). The purpose of the 
mechanism is to allow commercial whaling under a rational system of 
monitoring and in that way to preserve individual living creatures 
as well as the overall marine ecosystem. Even scientists from 
antiwhaling countries are supportive of this mechanism, but because 
of opposition from antiwhaling countries, the IWC has yet to adopt 
the mechanism in its general meeting. Consequently commercial 
whaling has yet to be resumed. No one can tell when it will be 
 
TOKYO 00000627  006 OF 007 
 
 
resumed. 
 
Some antiwhaling countries have declared that even if waters around 
the world are abundant in whales, they will prevent even a single 
whale from being taken. Given this, it is very difficult indeed to 
make all the IWC members convinced by proper logic. But now is a 
crucial stage. As a result of a full-fledged survey conducted to 
grasp the actual numbers of whales, global environmental 
organizations are showing an interest in a rational whaling system. 
 
The only way for Japan to follow is to resolutely turn away unlawful 
provocation and be patient enough to persuade, based on the 
scientific idea of coexistence, as well as the idea of tolerance, 
the countries that make unreasonable requests. Narrow-mindedness 
unable to understand heterogeneous culture and intolerance will ebb 
away. 
 
(5) Japan, China to hold small-scale dialogue on Southeast Asia, 
Africa 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 10, 2008 
 
The Japanese and Chinese governments have launched a small-scale 
policy dialogue focused on the subject of policy toward Southeast 
Asia and Africa, as well as official development assistance (ODA). 
The two governments will create a framework for dialogue for 
cooperation on issues that are not bilateral, aiming at establishing 
a strategic and reciprocal relationship between Tokyo and Beijing. 
Most of the issues on which the two countries will try to cooperate 
are in areas in which they have competed and are at odds over their 
interests. As confrontation has continued between the investigative 
authorities of the two countries over the row over poisoned 
Chinese-made dumplings, it will take time for the dialogue to 
produce results. 
 
The two governments have reached an agreement on the establishment 
of a "Japan-China Policy Dialogue on the Mekong," in which they will 
discuss relations with countries bordering the Mekong River, 
including Thailand and Cambodia. They are expected to hold a first 
meeting soon. Tokyo and Beijing last September held 
bureau-director-general-level consultations on policy toward Africa. 
Japan heard from China about the situation of its assistance for 
Africa, which accounts more than 40 PERCENT  of its foreign 
assistance. Last November the two countries held a similar meeting 
in Beijing on ODA. 
 
Japan and China have already initiated a cabinet-level economic 
dialogue. In addition, the two countries have regularly held 
strategic talks between vice foreign ministers. In the small-scale 
policy dialogue, the two sides will discuss issues for which little 
time is spent in the high-level dialogue and issues in which Tokyo 
and China have strong interests, as they are determined to work side 
by side in these areas. 
 
For example, the development of the Mekong is also crucial for 
China. A senior Foreign Ministry official said: "In areas the two 
countries have proactively worked on, there are projects on which 
the two counties can work together." 
 
However, since Japan and China have vied with each other to wield 
their influence over Southeast Asia and Africa, they might create 
 
TOKYO 00000627  007 OF 007 
 
 
the seeds of conflicts, rather than cooperation. 
 
Japan hosted in January in Tokyo a foreign ministerial meeting of 
five Mekong countries, aiming at seeking to contain China, which has 
rapidly increased its presence in this region. In rivalry with 
Japan, which has held the Tokyo International Conference on African 
Development once every five years since 1993, China has held the 
Forum on China-Africa Cooperation once every three years. 
 
The murkiness of China's foreign aid is a factor that prevents Japan 
from cooperating with Beijing. Although the Chinese government 
showed enthusiasm for a joint project on Africa policy, Tokyo called 
on Beijing to disclose further information on the grounds that it 
could not cooperate without adequate information. 
 
The development of a small-scale policy dialogue will likely become 
a test to divine how far Japan and China will be able to act in 
concert as two Asian powers. 
 
SCHIEFFER