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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 001699 
 
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 06/20/08 
 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
North Korea problem: 
4) Secretary Rice in speech says DPRK will submit nuclear report 
soon, a premise for dropping it from terror list  (Nikkei) 
5) Prime Minister Fukuda wants close cooperation with U.S. on issue 
of removing DPRK from the list of states sponsoring terrorism 
(Sankei) 
6) U.S, Japan, ROK officials meet in Tokyo, agree to accept North 
Korea nuke report even if number of weapons not specified  (Asahi) 
7) Director General Saiki asks U.S. to condition removal of North 
Korea from list of states sponsoring terrorism to progress on the 
abduction issue  (Sankei) 
8) U.S. hurrying to achieve progress in Six-Party Talks, with focus 
on extent of contents of North Korea nuclear report  (Nikkei) 
9) Making the DPRK abandon its nuclear weapons still a major 
challenge  (Yomiuri) 
10) Japan in asking U.S. to proceed cautiously in removing North 
Korea from terror list is afraid that it will be left behind in 
six-party process  (Nikkei) 
11) Japan fears getting out of step with the U.S. in its North Korea 
policy  (Yomiuri) 
12) Japan has to revise its North Korea strategy now that it looks 
certain North Korea will be removed from terror list  (Yomiuri) 
13) Abduction card might be lost to Japan if DRPK no longer on the 
U.S. terror list  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
Defense and security affairs: 
14) Government panel on defense ministry reform reaches final stage 
of drafting report, focusing now on analyzing cause of series of 
scandals  (Nikkei) 
15) LDP, New Komeito far apart still on a permanent SDF dispatch law 
 (Asahi) 
 
16) Upper House scraps 25 bills, rejecting continuing deliberation 
option  (Nikkei) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Questions being raised about Japan's quake-intensity scale 
 
Mainichi: 
More than 500 Finance Ministry officials received favors from taxi 
drivers 
 
Yomiuri & Tokyo Shimbun: 
"Dubbing 10" system to be introduced in Japan next month 
 
Nikkei: 
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Group to invest 100 billion yen in Barclays 
of Britain 
 
Sankei: 
U.S. State Secretary Rice clarifies intention to delist North Korea 
as a state sponsor of terrorism 
 
TOKYO 00001699  002 OF 011 
 
 
 
Akahata: 
Hokkaido gathering calls for government to protect fisheries 
industry from soaring oil prices 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) We want to hear prime minister's real intention on social 
security reform 
(2) Measures needed to prevent suicides, reflecting number exceeding 
30,000 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Human relations imperative to prevent suicides 
(2) Incident of boy falling through school skylight window: 
Facility-check system must be reviewed 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Social insurance panel should present in final report clear 
vision on consumption tax, pension reform 
(2) Continue discussion on permanent SDF-dispatch law 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Work out measures to provide sufficient medical care to those in 
need 
(2) Set up fair distribution rules for copyrighted works 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Rice's unconvincing statement on intent to delist North Korea 
(2) Improve working environment for hospital doctors to solve doctor 
shortages 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Take suicides as serious social problem 
(2) Panel's interim report describes future options for social 
security system 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Seriously damaged social security system attributed to 
constraint policy and dependence on consumption tax 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, June 19 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
June 20, 2008 
 
09:30 
Met Japan-Vietnam special ambassador Ryotaro Sugi at the Kantei. 
 
10:00 
Attended a National Council on Social Security meeting. 
 
11:20 
Met advisor Ito. 
 
12:01 
Had a luncheon meeting with LDP first- and second-term lawmakers in 
the presence of Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ono. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001699  003 OF 011 
 
 
13:01 
Underwent a regular eye check at the Mitsui Memorial Hospital. 
 
13:52 
Visited Akihabara to offer a prayer for the victims of the killing 
spree. 
 
14:17 
Returned to his official residence. 
 
15:03 
Attended a national credit unions convention at the Keidanren Kaikan 
Hall in Otemachi. 
 
15:45 
Met Deputy Foreign Minister Kohno and Vice Minister of Finance for 
International Affairs Shinohara. 
 
16:16 
Met Deputy Foreign Minister Sasae, followed by Deputy Cabinet 
Minister Uchida. Afterwards attended a Council for Science and 
Technology Policy meeting. 
 
17:30 
Met state minister in charge of improving the custodianship of 
official documents Kamikawa and Cabinet Secretariat chief Yamamoto, 
followed by remote islands promotion committee chairman Miyaji and 
others. 
 
18:45 
Held a foreign policy study meeting with National Defense Academy 
President Iokibe and others, joined by Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Machimura. 
 
4) Rice says North Korea will soon submit nuclear declaration, 
speaks of intention to delist it as state sponsor of terrorism 
 
NIKKEI (Top Play) (Full) 
Evening, June 19, 2008 
 
(Hiroshi Maruya, Washington) 
 
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on June 18 that North 
Korea will soon submit a declaration of its nuclear activities to 
China, chair of the six-party talks, under a six-party deal. In a 
speech she delivered at a think-tank in Washington, Rice also said 
that if the North produces a declaration, "President Bush will 
notify Congress of our intention to take Pyongyang off the list of 
terrorism-sponsoring nations and to exempt it from the application 
of the Trading with the Enemy Act." It was the first time for a 
senior U.S. government official to clearly express an intention to 
remove North Korea from the list if it provides a declaration. 
 
The Bush administration had stressed the need for verifying the 
contents of the declaration in delisting North Korea. But Rice 
clearly stated that the U.S. government will delist the North if it 
complies with its commitment. 
 
The delisting measure goes into effect 45 days after the 
administration notifies its intention to Congress. Rice emphasized: 
"During the 45 days, we would continue to assess the level of North 
Korean cooperation and verify the accuracy and completeness of its 
 
TOKYO 00001699  004 OF 011 
 
 
declaration. Based on the assessment, we will take action." As it 
stands, she also indicated that the U.S. would not delist North 
Korea after ascertaining the contents of its declaration. 
 
Rice reiterated in the speech that the six-party talks have produced 
achievements, including the North's disabling of its nuclear 
facilities in Yongbyon. She then urged Japan and other countries 
with pending issues with North Korea to offer cooperation. She said: 
"All the member countries of the six-party talks, including the 
U.S., are now being pressed to make a difficult choice. We must be 
aware that North Korea's denuclearization is our ultimate goal." On 
the issue of the past abductions of Japanese nationals by North 
Korean agents, she just said: "We have helped promote Japan-North 
Korea talks on the tragedy of the abduction victims," without 
referring to its relation to the delisting issue. 
 
Rice said that the condition for delisting a designated nation under 
a relevant U.S. law is whether the nation extended financial and 
physical aid to an international terrorist group over the past six 
months," hinting that there is little possibility of a political 
judgment being included. 
 
Asked about the possibility that North Korea might not give up its 
nuclear development programs, Rice said: "Judging from its past 
deeds, there is such concern." She added that if the North does not 
comply with its commitment, "the U.S. will re-impose the removed 
sanctions and impose new sanctions." 
 
With the aim of resuming the six-party talks, which have been 
suspended since last fall, the Bush administration has dispatched 
Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill to Asia. He will meet 
with the Japanese and South Korean chief delegates to the six-party 
talks in Tokyo on the 19th. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping also 
left for a three-day tour of North Korea on the 17th to meet 
President Kim Jong Il and other senior officials in an effort to 
resume the six-party talks. 
 
5) Fukuda underlines close contact between Japan and U.S. on 
delisting North 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
June 20, 2008 
 
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has suggested that 
President George W. Bush will notify Congress of his decision to 
delist North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. Asked about 
Japan's response by reporters at his official residence last night, 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said: "Japan and the United States have 
been in close contact with each other. We will listen to what the 
U.S. government has to say." 
 
Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told the Lower 
House Abduction Issue Special Committee yesterday regarding the 
government's intention to partially lift economic sanctions against 
the North: "The government did not say that it would do nothing 
until the reinvestigation (into the abduction issue) produces 
concrete results. The government might begin procedures to (lift 
sanctions) as necessary while watching the progress of the 
reinvestigation." Machimura indicated the possibility that Japan 
will partially ease sanctions once the reinvestigation beings in 
compliance with Japan's request. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001699  005 OF 011 
 
 
6) North Korea: Japan, U.S., South Korea agree exclusion of nuclear 
arms from declaration of nuclear weapons program 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Full) 
June 20, 2008 
 
A meeting of chief Japanese, U.S. and South Korean chief delegates 
to the six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear issue took place 
at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo on June 19. Participants agreed to 
accept the declaration of a nuclear arms program by North Korea, 
which expected to occur shortly, even if it does not include 
information on nuclear arms, on the condition that North Korea makes 
the declaration within a set period of time. A source involved in 
the three-party talks revealed this. 
 
According to the same source, participants agreed on the perception 
that it is important to make Pyongyang commit itself to making the 
declaration without fail in the third stage of its denuclearization 
process, an issue to be discussed in the future. Regarding a 
concrete method of making Pyongyang pledge to make the declaration 
on its nuclear arms, discussion will likely take place under the 
six-party framework with the compilation of a separate paper in 
mind. 
 
The Japanese side has thus far strongly called for the inclusion of 
nuclear arms in the declaration by Pyongyang. However, it has 
determined that there would be an extremely slim chance of that 
nation including information on nuclear arms, the highest-level 
military secret, in the declaration. Since a certain degree of 
progress, including reinvestigation into the whereabouts Japanese 
abductees at the recent Japan-North Korea talks in Beijing, has been 
achieved, Japan has in effect lowered the barrier regarding the 
declaration, which Pyongyang is obligated to made in a complete, and 
accurate way, with priority given to the resumption of the six-party 
talks. 
 
The meeting was joined by Akitaka Saiki, director general of the 
Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, U.S. Assistant 
Secretary of State Christopher Hill and Kim Sook, the South Korean 
Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry's special representative for 
Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs. 
 
The informed source also indicated the outlook that it would be 
difficult for Pyongyang to make the declaration within June due to 
the delayed preparations. This source also indicated the possibility 
of either a meeting of chief delegates to the six-party talks or a 
meeting of the denuclearization working group being held for 
discussions of a method of verifying the declaration before it is 
submitted by North Korea. 
 
7) Saiki asks U.S. to premise N. Korea delisting on abduction 
progress 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
June 20, 2008 
 
Chief delegates from Japan, the United States, and South Korea to 
the six-party talks over North Korea's denuclearization met 
yesterday evening at the Foreign Ministry and exchanged views on how 
to proceed with North Korea's nuclear issues, including U.S. 
Secretary of State Rice's clarification of the U.S. government's 
intention of going through procedures to delist North Korea as a 
 
TOKYO 00001699  006 OF 011 
 
 
state sponsor of terrorism when North Korea declares its nuclear 
programs. Akitaka Saiki, director general of the Asian and Oceanian 
Affairs Bureau at the Foreign Ministry, reiterated the Japanese 
government's position, maintaining that the United States should not 
delist North Korea unless there is specific progress on the issue of 
Japanese nationals abducted to North Korea. Saiki confirmed that 
Japan would continue to cooperate closely with the United States on 
this issue. 
 
The meeting was held with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Hill and 
Kim Sook, the South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry's 
special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security 
affairs. Saiki explained the outcome of working-level talks held on 
June 11-12 between Japan and North Korea in Beijing. Hill and Kim 
expressed their hopes for a solution to the abduction issue with 
specific progress. The three also exchanged views on the stagnated 
six-party talks. Furthermore, they talked about how to proceed with 
the North Korea issue in trilateral cooperation. 
 
"The abduction incident is not only an important issue for Japan, 
it's also a matter of concern to the United States," Hill told 
reporters after the meeting. "We will keep in close touch with Japan 
to see how things will develop," Hill added. Meanwhile, Japan takes 
the position that it will not take part in energy aid to North 
Korea. In this regard, Kim said, "We hope that Japan will be able to 
take early action for energy aid to North Korea." 
 
Concerning North Korea's nuclear declaration as a premise for 
delisting that country, Hill stressed that scrapping nuclear weapons 
is also one of the requisites. "Our position is the complete 
denuclearization of North Korea from the start," Hill said, adding, 
"This includes scrapping nuclear weapons." 
 
8) U.S. hurrying to make progress in six-party talks 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
Eve, June 19, 2008 
 
WASHINGTON-U.S. Secretary of State Rice has clarified that the U.S. 
government would inform the U.S. Congress of delisting North Korea 
as a state sponsor of terrorism in response to North Korea's 
declaration of its nuclear programs. This can be taken as indicating 
that the United States is in a hurry to find a way out of the 
stagnated six-party talks over North Korea's nuclear issue. The Bush 
administration is to leave office in January next year. Counting 
backward from that timetable, Washington apparently judges that it 
is time to bring North Korea into the final phase for scrapping its 
nuclear programs. The U.S. government is also seeking to hold a 
six-way foreign ministerial meeting for an imprint of diplomatic 
results. 
 
In February 2007, the six-party talks reached an agreement 
specifying that the U.S. government would start to work for its 
delisting of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. In an 
agreement reached in October, the six-party talks took a further 
step, with the United States saying it will implement its promise 
along with North Korea's action. Hill has reiterated that the U.S. 
government would remove North Korea from its blacklist if North 
Korea takes second-phase steps to disable its nuclear facilities and 
declare its nuclear programs. 
 
Pyongyang, which gives top priority to its delisting, did not 
 
TOKYO 00001699  007 OF 011 
 
 
declare its nuclear programs even after an end-of-2007 deadline and 
has assumed a wait-and-see attitude, aiming to determine whether its 
nuclear declaration would lead to its delisting. Rice's statement 
this time implies signaling to North Korea that Washington will 
clearly link North Korea's nuclear declaration to its delisting. 
 
9) Japan opposes delisting North as terrorism-sponsoring nation 
unless there is progress on nuclear, abduction issues 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
June 20, 2008 
 
Foreign Ministry Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Director-General 
Akitaka Saiki, Japan's chief delegate to the six-party talks on the 
North Korean nuclear issue, held a meeting with his U.S. 
counterpart, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, at the 
Foreign Ministry last night. Touching on Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice's announcement to delist North Korea as a state 
sponsor of terrorism, Saiki urged Hill not to remove the North from 
the nuclear blacklist unless there is progress on the abduction 
issue in addition to a complete and correct declaration of its 
nuclear programs. 
 
The Saiki-Hill meeting was followed by talks among the chief 
delegates of Japan, the United States, and South Korea. In the 
session, Kim Sook, the South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade 
Ministry's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and 
security affairs, said: "We hope to see Japan soon join the energy 
aid program for North Korea." 
 
After the series of talks, Hill told reporters: "The abduction issue 
is important for Japan, and it is of interest to the United States 
as well. We would like to watch the development of (Japan-DPRK 
relations) while keeping close contact with (Japan)." 
 
Saiki said: "I explained Japan's standpoint to the U.S. government 
on the question of taking the North off the list of 
terrorism-sponsoring nations. We have agreed that Japan and the 
United States will work in close cooperation." 
 
10) Japan to ask for cautious response 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
Eve., June 19, 2008 
 
Tokyo is poised to keep watching Washington's moves to delist North 
Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. "There is no change in 
Japan's stance," Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told a 
press conference on the morning of June 19. Machimura stressed that 
the Japanese government would call on the U.S. government to remain 
cautious and not delist North Korea without specific progress on the 
issue of Japanese nationals abducted to North Korea. 
 
Japan and North Korea recently held a meeting of their working-level 
officials. On that occasion, North Korea promised to look again into 
the abduction issue. However, Japan and North Korea will need to 
talk about specifics, including the question of how to locate the 
whereabouts of Japanese abductees. The Japanese government therefore 
has a strong sense of alarm about the abduction issue being left 
behind. 
 
11) Japan fears lack of unity with U.S. 
 
TOKYO 00001699  008 OF 011 
 
 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Abridged slightly) 
June 20, 2008 
 
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's announcement that 
Washington will delist North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism 
before long worries Japan. Japan, which keeps sanctions against the 
North in place for the sake of the abduction issue, specifically 
fears a possible lack of unity with the United States, which is 
moving closer to North Korea. Japan is under pressure to make a 
difficult decision on the question of how to strike a balance 
between the six-party talks and progress on Japan-DRPK relations. 
 
Asked by reporters at his official residence last night about 
Japan's response to Rice's statement, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda 
simply said: "We will deal with the matter while keeping close 
contact (between Japan and the United States) at all times." 
 
If the United States accepts the North's nuclear declaration, which 
is expected to occur before long, and the U.S. begins work to remove 
the North from the blacklist, chances are high that Japan will find 
itself isolated in the six-party framework. The reason is that Japan 
keeps refusing to join the energy aid program for the North, 
although the talks will move on to the next phase after the U.S. and 
North meet each other halfway. 
 
After President George W. Bush notifies Congress of his decision to 
delist the North, six-party members and other bodies are expected to 
verity the DPRK's declaration. An insufficient declaration might be 
sent back to the North. 
 
Japan has been insisting on a "complete and correct declaration" to 
ensure that the United States will not delist the North if its 
declaration is insufficient. "If the United States rushes to delist 
the North even if its declaration is inaccurate, we will have to 
play that up in the verification process in order not to be 
isolated," a Japanese government source said. 
 
At the same time, if the North's declaration is proven to be 
insufficient and if that puts strains on Washington and Pyongyang, 
the six-party talks might remain stalled. 
 
Japan intends to coordinate with the North in advance to make sure 
that Pyongyang will carry out a true reinvestigation of the 
abduction issue. Japan wants to keep pace with the six-party talks 
with this approach. Whether the reinvestigation can bring progress 
to the abduction issue remains to be seen. 
 
12) Japan needs to revise its North Korea strategy 
 
Yomiuri (Page 2) (Full) 
Eve., June 19, 2008 
 
In response to U.S. Secretary of State Rice's announcement of a 
policy course of soon removing North Korea from the list of states 
sponsoring terrorism, the Japanese government plans to ask the U.S. 
government to give consideration to progress on the abduction issue 
at the time that it removes the DPRK from the list. Government 
officials will transmit such thinking to Assistant Secretary Hill, 
who arrives in Japan on the afternoon of the 19th. 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura, meeting with the press corps on 
 
TOKYO 00001699  009 OF 011 
 
 
the morning of the 19th, stressed: "Japan and the U.S. have always 
closely exchanged information and views. There has been no change in 
Japan's stance." However, the Japanese government, which has been 
pressing the U.S. to consider resolution of the abduction issue as a 
premise of the terror list, is under pressure to revise its 
strategy. A senior Foreign Ministry official on the morning of the 
19th told the press corps in Tokyo; "For Japan, both the nuclear and 
abduction issues are essential. It would appear that by only 
mentioning the abduction issue, the nuclear issue does not seem 
important, but (the nuclear issue, too) must be made to move first." 
 
 
13) U.S. plans to delist North Korea as state sponsor of terrorism; 
Japan may lose leverage on abduction issue 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Full) 
June 20, 2008 
 
In the wake of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice having said 
that the United States will move to take North Korea off its list of 
terrorism-sponsoring nations, the possibility of Washington 
delisting Pyongyang has moved closer to reality. The Japanese 
government, however, has opposed delisting before progress is made 
on the issue of North Korea's abduction of Japanese nationals. It 
remains uncertain whether Pyongyang will keep its promise to Japan 
that it will reinvestigate the abduction issue. Therefore, Japan is 
forced to conduct negotiations not only with Pyongyang but also with 
Washington. 
 
Prior to a meeting yesterday with the chief negotiators in the 
six-party talks from Japan, the United States, and South Korea, the 
Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Director 
General Akitaka Saiki met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State 
Christopher Hill. After the meeting, Saiki told the press in a 
strong tone: "Japan and the United States basically share the view 
on the issue." Hill then stated: "While I think there are a number 
of difficult problems, if the United States and Japan cooperate, 
difficult issues will be resolved easily." 
 
The United States has said that delisting North Korea will be done 
in return for a declaration of the North's nuclear activities. 
Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura, however, said: "It is also a card 
for Japan to achieve progress on the abduction issue." The Japanese 
government has closely cooperated with the U.S. government with the 
aim of preventing Washington from delisting Pyongyang. It is 
believed that the meeting of working-level officials from Japan and 
North Korea held on June 11-12 was made possible by the good offices 
of the United States, which has called for improvement in relations 
between Japan and North Korea as a condition for delisting 
Pyongyang. 
 
While talks between the United States and North Korea are moving 
forward, Tokyo and Pyongyang are at the stage of "words for words" 
as Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said. Tokyo and 
Pyongyang have yet to reach agreement on specifics as to how to 
carry out the reinvestigation into the abduction issue the North 
promised. Referring to a timetable for the next round of bilateral 
talks on the reinvestigation, a senior Foreign Ministry official 
said: "We have no idea, since the other side has its own situation." 
Losing the delisting card is a blow to Japan. 
 
The Japanese government is determined, however, not to provide 
 
TOKYO 00001699  010 OF 011 
 
 
energy to North Korea before progress is made on the abduction 
issue. Japan may be criticized by other members of the six-party 
talks for being an obstacle to North Korea's denuclearization. 
 
Therefore, some in the government believe that Japan has no choice 
but to accept the U.S decision, with a senior Foreign Ministry 
official saying: "If we talk about only the abduction issue, other 
countries will think Japan does not care about the nuclear issue. 
Pushing ahead with things is important." 
 
In yesterday's press conference, Machimura took a defensive line 
toward U.S., saying: "The question is how the United States will 
apply its internal law." 
 
14) Defense Ministry reform: Experts at government-sponsored meeting 
agree that emphasis should be placed on analysis of causes of 
scandals; Compilation of report could be delayed 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
June 20, 2008 
 
The government's Defense Ministry (MOD) Reform Council, chaired by 
Nobuya Minami, advisor to TEPCO, yesterday, June 19, entered the 
final stage of compiling a report before the end of the month. The 
panel of experts agreed that the report should focus on analyzing 
the causes of a number of scandals involving MOD personnel, such as 
briberies over the procurement of equipment, and propose measures to 
prevent a recurrence. Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba is insisting 
that a MOD-sponsored reorganization plan featuring the integration 
of civilians (internal bureaus) and the uniformed officers (Self 
Defense Forces' members) be reflected in the panel's report. Since 
the panel is having difficulty reaching a consensus, the compilation 
of the report could be delayed until July. 
 
The government side explained the outline of the planned report, 
which will include the analysis and evaluation of the scandals and 
measures to prevent a recurrence. The outline also includes the 
improvement of a system assisting the defense minister and the 
strengthening of the Kantei's function as the central command. Many 
participants called for giving priority to the starting point and 
ideals of the reform plan instead of going into a concrete 
reorganization plan. 
 
MOD at the previous meeting held in late May proposed a plan to 
reorganize the present organization consisting of internal bureaus, 
the Joint Staff Council, the Ground Staff Office, the Maritime Staff 
Office and the Air Staff Office into an organization divided 
according to function. The plan included the abolition of Staff 
Offices. According to the MOD plan, the entire organization would be 
made the mixture of civilians and the uniformed group. However, 
National Defense Academy President Makoto Iokibe, a panel member and 
an advisor to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, has presented a plan to 
press ahead with the integration of civilians and the uniformed 
group, while preserving the existing organization, indicating a gap 
with the MOD plan. 
 
15) Interim report on SDF dispatch permanent law: Gap remains 
unfilled between LDP, New Komeito 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
June 20, 2008 
 
 
TOKYO 00001699  011 OF 011 
 
 
A project team of members from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party 
(LDP) and its coalition partner New Komeito is looking into the 
enactment of a permanent law that would enable Japan to dispatch the 
Self-Defense Force overseas any time. The team yesterday issued its 
interim report. However since the gulf between the two parties 
remains wide yet to be bridged, most of contentious issues have been 
put on the backburner, although they have agreed on such issues as 
Diet approval. The LDP and New Komeito in the interim report agreed 
that the SDF would be allowed to participate in UN peacekeeping 
operations (PKO) and that the troops would be allowed to join 
international peace cooperation activities based on UN resolutions. 
The interim report stipulates the New Komeito's assertion that (SDF 
troops would be dispatched overseas) based on the conventional 
interpretation of the Constitution. Many contentious points on the 
issue of constitutional interpretation have been put on hold pending 
further discussion. 
 
For example, the LDP called for allowing the SDF as one of their 
activities to guard troops of another country, even if they were 
positioned far from the Japanese troops, but the New Komeito 
rejected the notion.  Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda also said in a 
Diet reply that the law does not allow the SDF to do so. Taku 
Yamasaki, head of the project team, stressed: "The LDP itself 
proposed adding guarding to the SDF's activities." Natsuo Yamaguchi, 
deputy head of the project team, took a cautious stance saying: 
"Since differences of opinions have not been ironed out, we cannot 
arrive at a conclusion." 
 
The government has decided to forgo submitting a bill to the next 
extraordinary Diet session. In a meeting yesterday of his faction, 
Yamasaki argued: "I want to make efforts to (present legislation) to 
the next regular session at any cost." Yamaguchi, however, sought to 
constrain Yamasaki: "Since a bill  is not a task for the project 
team to which Diet session a bill will be presented." 
 
16) Upper House to scrap 25 bills without carrying them to next 
session: Unusual situation caused by submission of censure motion 
against prime minister 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
June 20, 2008 
 
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Democratic Party of Japan 
(DPJ or Minshuto) at a meeting of their Diet Affairs Committee 
chairmen yesterday decided to scrap all 25 bills remaining in the 
Upper House without carrying them over to the next Diet session. The 
25 bills include 22 DPJ lawmaker-sponsored bills. This unusual 
situation is due to the overall suspension of Diet deliberations 
following the adoption of a censure motion against Prime Minister 
Yasuo Fukuda. 
 
Scrapped bills need to be resubmitted to the next Diet session. 
 
In the Lower House, 61 of 66 bills will likely be carried over to 
the next Diet session. Both chambers of the Diet have thus taken 
different approaches, reflecting the divided Diet. 
 
SCHIEFFER