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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1764

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 002638 
 
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 09/24/08 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) U.S. financial crisis: Japanese banks bailing out U.S. financial 
institutions (Nikkei) 
 
(2) Guam relocation costs rise 4.7 billion dollars, totaling over 15 
billion dollars: Marine Forces Pacific estimate (Ryukyu Shimpo) 
 
(3) Are U.S. nuclear warships safe? (Asahi) 
 
(4) Deployment of U.S. nuclear-powered carrier (Part 1): Anxiety 
about its safety; Citizens seek self-protection measures: families 
to store iodine tablets (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
(5) Special contribution by Yukio Okamoto (Part B): Japan dropping 
out of international mutual aid society; Japan not allowed to stand 
outside terrorist bloc (Sankei) 
 
(6) TOP HEADLINES 
 
(7) EDITORIALS 
 
(8) Prime Minister Fukuda's schedule, September 23 (Nikkei) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) U.S. financial crisis: Japanese banks bailing out U.S. financial 
institutions 
 
NIKKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
September 23, 2008 
 
Major realignment of financial institutions in the U.S. and Europe 
has gotten underway, triggered by the U.S.-induced financial crisis. 
Amid such a move, Japanese banks are seen investing in those 
financial institutions as saviors. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group 
(MUFJG) will invest in Morgan Stanley, a U.S. securities firm. 
Nomura Holdings will purchase the Asia business of Lehman Brothers. 
Japanese banks have thus begun targeting the last stronghold of the 
U.S. financial industry, taking the advantage of the financial 
crisis, which has been gradually deepening since summer last year. 
 
Last week, when Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, Morgan 
Stanley's share price plunged. Media organizations reported that the 
firm was trying to find several investors or business partners. 
MUFJG was chosen from among several bidders. According to MUFJG, the 
basic capital reinforcement agreement with MUFJG is the only such 
agreement for that firm. Other bidders and potential business 
partners appear to have remained cautious. 
 
In the ongoing financial crisis, U.S. and European financial 
institutions were first pressed for major recapitalization in the 
second half of last year through early this year. At the time, major 
investors were mainly government-affiliated funds in Asia and Middle 
Eastern funds flush with oil money. However, it is said that those 
funds now find it difficult to make additional investments, strapped 
with massive latent losses due to lingering sluggish stock prices. 
Japanese banks, whose financial standing is relatively solid by 
international standards, have suddenly begun drawing attention for 
their investment capacity. 
 
Morgan Stanley accepted investment worth 5 billion dollars or 
 
TOKYO 00002638  002 OF 010 
 
 
approximately 540 billion yen from a Chinese government-affiliated 
fund. Now MUFJG will invest nearly double that amount. MUFJG, which 
has particularly abundant capital among Japanese banks, is expected 
to use its own funds when investing up to 900 billion yen in Morgan 
Stanley. The financial standing of other mega-banks is also 
healthy. 
 
Goldman Sachs, another leading U.S. securities house, will likely 
draw major attention as Morgan did. Provided that discussion for 
reinforcing that company's capital base heightens, what approach 
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG), which has deep relations 
with Goldman, will make will come into focus. 
 
One SMFG executive said, "We will value our historical relationship 
with Goldman Sachs." The two financial institutions have had a close 
relationship since the former Sumitomo Bank invested a total of 500 
million dollars in Goldman Sachs in 1986. In 2003, when SMFG was 
facing a bad loan fiasco, Goldman bought 150 billion yen in SMFG 
preferred shares to help the Japanese institution strengthen its 
financial base. 
 
SMFG has decided to provide approximately 100 billion yen in 
financial assistance to Barclays of Britain. However, it has turned 
down a similar request for financial assistance from Lehman 
Brothers, a leading U.S. securities firm like Goldman Sachs, 
apparently giving consideration to Goldman. 
 
The purchase of the Asia business of Lehman Brothers and the ongoing 
talks to take over its Europe business by Nomura are another case of 
a Japanese financial institution investing in a U.S. financial 
institution. Nomura came up with a bidding price exceeding the 
amount proposed by its competitors, because it has capital 
procurement capacity, backed by its fiscal and profit-earning base. 
 
Japanese banks have successively invested in foreign financial 
institutions since early this year. The scale of MUFJG's investment 
in Morgan Stanley this time is unprecedented, reflecting that 
leading Japanese banks, which have suffered a relatively minor blow 
in the current financial crisis stemming from the U.S. subprime 
mortgage fiasco, are increasing their presence. The situation is 
bound to affect the investment behavior of other Japanese financial 
institutions. 
 
(2) Guam relocation costs rise 4.7 billion dollars, totaling over 15 
billion dollars: Marine Forces Pacific estimate 
 
RYUKYU SHIMPO (Top play) (Full) 
September 24, 2008 
 
Japan and the United States have reached an intergovernmental 
agreement to share the burden of costs for relocating U.S. Marines 
from Okinawa to Guam in the process of realigning U.S. forces in 
Japan. In this connection, it became known on Sept. 22 that the U.S. 
Marine Forces Pacific estimates the total cost for the Guam 
relocation at 15 billion dollars (approximately 1.575 trillion yen), 
an increase of 4.7 billion dollars (493.5 billion yen) over the 
agreed amount (about 10.3 billion dollars or about 1.0815 trillion 
yen). The estimated costs include high-speed craft acquisition. In 
its report dated Sept. 17, the U.S. Government Accountability Office 
(GAO) listed the costs as estimated by a Marine Forces Pacific 
officer. 
 
 
TOKYO 00002638  003 OF 010 
 
 
In its analysis, the GAO report says there are uncertain factors 
affecting spending on the relocation of Marines from Okinawa to 
Guam. As a precondition for that, the report suggests the need to 
settle the various changes in the plan to relocate Futenma airfield. 
In a way, this suggestion urges the U.S. government to take action, 
with Futenma airfield's offshore relocation in mind. 
 
In April 2006, the Japanese and U.S. government agreed that Japan 
would take on approximately 6.1 billion dollars (59 PERCENT ) in the 
breakdown of relocation costs. The GAO report makes no mention of 
shares in the increased portion. However, the U.S. Congress is 
expected to frown on further spending. Accordingly, Washington could 
call for Tokyo to further increase its burden. 
 
The extra portion covers acquisition and maintenance costs for 
high-speed boats intended to carry Marines in Guam. In addition, it 
includes costs for building new training facilities in the Northern 
Mariana Islands and purchasing furniture for these facilities. 
 
In addition, the GAO report estimates 2 billion dollars for training 
ranges for the Marines on Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. 
 
In connection with costs for the strategic movement of Marines, the 
GAO report estimates an additional outlay of 88 million dollars a 
year from Guam as compared with their movement from Okinawa. 
 
(3) Are U.S. nuclear warships safe? 
 
ASAHI (Page 3) (Full) 
September 23, 2008 
 
Fumiaki Sonoyama 
Kuniichi Tanida, senior writer 
 
The USS George Washington, a U.S. aircraft carrier, is slated to 
arrive at the U.S. Navy's Yokosuka base in Kanagawa Prefecture on 
Sept. 25 for deployment. The George Washington is the first U.S. 
nuclear-powered flattop to be homeported in Japan. The U.S. Navy has 
underscored the nuclear aircraft carrier's safety. However, there 
have been accidents involving U.S. nuclear warships, such as a fire 
on the George Washington and radiation leaks from a nuclear-powered 
submarine. Due to such eventualities, the local residents of 
Yokosuka are growingly concerned about the aircraft carrier's 
deployment. The U.S. Navy has disclosed only limited information on 
these incidents, a factor that further rocks the safety myth of U.S. 
nuclear warships. 
 
The George Washington caught fire in May when she was underway from 
the U.S. East Coast to the Pacific Ocean, and she underwent 
large-scale repairs. 
 
The U.S. military's first deployment to Japan of a nuclear-powered 
aircraft carrier is aimed to buttress up its western Pacific 
presence. On Aug. 7, George Washington Carrier Strike Group 
Commander Richard Wren met the press at the San Diego base on the 
U.S. West Coast. In his press briefing there, the commander 
underscored the safety of the carrier for the Japanese public. "Our 
nuclear-powered vessels have operated about 5,000 times around the 
equator," he said. "And," he went on, "we've never caused a major 
accident in over 50 years of use." 
 
In the same month of August, however, the USS Houston, a 
 
TOKYO 00002638  004 OF 010 
 
 
nuclear-powered submarine of the U.S. Navy, leaked a trace amount of 
radiation when she called at the Yokosuka base in Kanagawa 
Prefecture, the Sasebo base in Nagasaki Prefecture, and White Beach 
in Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture. This fact added to local concerns 
about nuclear warships. 
 
U.S. nuclear-powered warships are equipped with pressurized light 
water reactors. A nuclear-powered submarine has a single nuclear 
reactor, and the George Washington has a pair of nuclear reactors. 
In terms of commercial reactors, the combined thermal output of the 
George Washington's two reactors is equivalent to the No. 1 reactor 
at the Mihama nuclear power plant (1,031,000 kilowatts). According 
to a private institution's estimate, a large number of local 
residents could die should they be exposed to highly concentrated 
radiation in the fallout from a major accident. 
 
However, the U.S. Navy has little disclosed data about the reactors 
of its nuclear-powered warships. That is because the United States 
could lose its military supremacy, according to a U.S. naval 
officer. 
 
In the case of the Houston's radiation leaks as well, the U.S. 
government explained that liquids containing radioactive substance 
leaked from a valve. However, the U.S. government has never 
explained why the leaked water contained radioactive substance, nor 
has it accounted at all for what kind of substance leaked and which 
valve leaked such radioactive substance. 
 
"Something like potassium-which exists in the human body and in the 
natural world-is quite different in meaning from iodine and cesium 
that accumulate in the human body, even though at the same amount," 
said Makoto Akashi, director of the Center for Emergency Radiation 
Exposure Medical Studies at the National Institute of Radiological 
Sciences. "Their effects on human health cannot be military secrets 
at all," he added 
 
The Japanese government swallowed the U.S. government's account. The 
Foreign Ministry received a report from the U.S. Embassy and 
released the U.S. government's explanation three times. However, the 
Japanese government only reiterated the U.S. government's 
standpoint, saying the leakage of radiation does not affect the 
human body or the environment. 
 
Hiromichi Umebayashi, special advisor to Peace Depot, a nonprofit 
organization, commented: "This is nothing but negligence. It's equal 
to only discharging information." 
 
Meanwhile, U.S. nuclear-powered warships have made nearly 1,400 port 
calls in Japan since 1964. They have received exceptional treatment 
because the Japanese government has honored memorandums and 
statements issued by the U.S. government in 1964 when the first port 
call was made. 
 
The U.S. government promised in its documentation that U.S. nuclear 
warships will not replace fuel or repair power units, which could 
cause danger, while in Japan. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy has refused 
to provide technical data about the design and operation of its 
nuclear warships. In addition, the U.S. Navy has also refused to let 
Japanese officials board its nuclear warships for the purpose of 
obtaining such technical data. This constrains the Japanese 
government's plan to deal with radiation leakage. 
 
 
TOKYO 00002638  005 OF 010 
 
 
Since the U.S. government rules out the possibility of an accident 
occurring on U.S. nuclear-powered warships, the Japanese government 
takes the position that it will not go further. 
 
"The important thing in the event of an accident is to disclose 
information without delay," said Hiroshi Honma, a professor emeritus 
at Hosei University, who is familiar with legal issues involving the 
U.S. military. "Even so," Honma went on, "how far to let us know is 
at the U.S. side's discretion." He added, "We have no choice but to 
rely on their favor, as a matter of fact." 
 
In 2000, the Japanese government added a clause of nuclear vessel 
disasters to its disaster prevention plan, which is based on the 
Natural Disasters Law, to determine roles and countermeasures for 
the central and local governments. However, the government has yet 
to decide on anything about what to do at the stage where Japan and 
the United States conflict over their respective sovereignties in 
clearing up the causes of nuclear warships' accidents and pursuing 
responsibilities for such accidents. 
 
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 
(MEXT) has set up monitoring posts measuring aerial and underwater 
radiation in the three ports of call to detect radiation leakage 
from U.S. nuclear warships. Patrol boats are also assigned there for 
monitoring assistance. MEXT continues to analyze seawater and marine 
products sampled right near nuclear warships. In addition, MEXT has 
also set up the "Nuclear Ship Monitoring Center" near the Yokosuka 
base in preparation for the George Washington's deployment. The 
center started its operation on Sept. 1. 
 
In the past, the monitoring system detected abnormality twice. 
However, the government could not clear up its cause. 
 
In May 1968, a nuclear-powered submarine entered the port of Sasebo. 
At the time, radiation was detected near the nuclear submarine. Its 
readout was 10-20 times higher than normal levels. In September 
2006, nuclear substances, cobalt 58 and 60, were detected from 
seawater sampled near a nuclear submarine in Yokosuka. The U.S. Navy 
denied its potential links to the nuclear submarine. Eventually, 
this case reached a gray settlement. 
 
The local communities of base-hosting municipalities are concerned 
about the port calls of nuclear-powered warships. In August, the 
municipal assembly of Sasebo City passed a statement maintaining 
that the city should not easily allow nuclear warships to enter port 
as long as their safety is not established. In May this year, a 
group of citizens in Yokosuka City submitted a petition with about 
50,000 signatures working on the city government to hold a 
referendum on whether to host the George Washington. The city's 
municipal assembly voted down the proposal but passed a resolution 
calling on the central government to ensure safety and step up 
disaster prevention. 
 
"It is Japanese people who will sustain damage in the event of an 
accident," Honma said. "To protect their lives and properties," he 
added, "the Japanese government should propose standards for 
information disclosure and renegotiate an agreement with the U.S. 
government." 
 
(4) Deployment of U.S. nuclear-powered carrier (Part 1): Anxiety 
about its safety; Citizens seek self-protection measures: families 
to store iodine tablets 
 
TOKYO 00002638  006 OF 010 
 
 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 28) (Full) 
September 23, 2008 
 
"Since the city's countermeasures are insufficient, city residents 
have no other recourse but to do what they can to protect 
themselves." 
 
The statement was made by Yokosuka City Assembly member Akihiro 
Harada in mid-month, when the deployment of the nuclear-powered 
carrier U.S.S. George Washington to Yokosuka Naval Base was 
imminent. He was rushing to stock up stable iodine tablets for use 
at home. Visiting pharmacies, he explained the need for it and asked 
their cooperation. Slowly but surely, the number of stores 
consenting to stock the material increased. 
 
Stable iodine prophylaxis will prevent radioactive iodine that has 
been released by a nuclear reactor accident or the like from being 
absorbed by the human body and causing thyroid cancer. Similar to 
local communities that house nuclear power plants, the city of 
Yokosuka, too, will stockpile approximately 300,000 tablets at 
disaster prevention centers. City residents during a disaster will 
be required to take them at evacuation centers. 
 
However, in order to heighten the effectiveness of the preventive 
measure, time is of the utmost importance when taking the tablets. 
City assembly member Harada made this appeal: "Three hours after the 
accident occurs, the effectiveness of the tablets is reduced by 
half. I am worried about the response being swift enough, such as a 
delay in informing people of the accident. The tablets should always 
be stored at home and taken there." 
 
The Ministry of Education and Science and Technology, which promotes 
safety measures to counter nuclear-power disasters, will increase 
the number of monitoring posts set up inside and outside the base to 
measure radiation that might be leaked into the air or the water. It 
stressed that it will build a new facility to analyze radioactive 
materials, as well as put every effort into the surveillance 
system. 
 
That being said, the function of the monitoring system comes into 
play only after an accident has occurred. The Japanese side, being 
unable to check the safety of the nuclear reactor (in the carrier), 
has no way to realize preventive measures. The city last year in 
March signed a disaster-prevention accord with the U.S. Navy in 
Japan that included mutual assistance at the time of a disaster. 
Although it was to provide fully for such measures as early 
dispensing of stable iodine tablets, it lacked specifics steps to 
control damage such as swift reporting of an accident from the U.S. 
forces. The reality is that we can only rely on the U.S. forces. 
 
With such a system of safety measures that only relies on the U.S. 
military, a feeling of alarm has grown in the labor union federation 
of the Miura Peninsula, the mother organization of Yokosuka City 
Mayor Ryoichi Kabaya. The union on Sept. 5 pressed Mayor Kabaya to 
take such steps as promoting safety measures for base employees, 
saying, "This will become material for making our judgment in next 
year's city election." The union's Deputy Manager Noriyuki Iijima 
complained: "The city until the end has not indicated to us in a 
visible way what its safety measures are." 
 
The U.S.S. George Washington will enter the port of Yokosuka on 
 
TOKYO 00002638  007 OF 010 
 
 
Sept. 25. It is unprecedented for the United States to deploy a 
nuclear-powered vessel of this kind in an overseas base. With a 
nuclear disaster and the danger of a terrorist incident looming 
ahead, we embark on this report filled with anxiety. 
 
(Nuclear-powered carrier problem news gathering team) 
 
(5) Special contribution by Yukio Okamoto (Part B): Japan dropping 
out of international mutual aid society; Japan not allowed to stand 
outside terrorist bloc 
 
SANKEI (pp. 1-3) (Abridged slightly) 
September 19, 2008 
 
Maritime Self-Defense Force supply vessels are providing fuel to 
coalition forces' vessels in the waters off Somalia so that they do 
not have to return to the Persian Gulf to be refueled. The task is 
safe but requires high technologic skills. The MSDF's performance is 
praised and appreciated by other countries. 
 
The Emden, which headed to rescue the Takayama, has also received 
fuel from the MSDF refueler Omi. On Aug. 25, coalition naval forces 
designated the waters off Somalia as a Maritime Security Patrol Area 
(MSPA) and strengthened the setup to defend commercial vessels. I 
hear that Germany and Denmark are considering sending additional 
naval troops for protecting commercial ships. 
 
Ichiro Ozawa is calling for an end to the MSDF's refueling mission 
for coalition forces vessels off Somalia as a violation of the 
Constitution. The ruling bloc managed to return the MSDF refueler to 
the waters off Somalia by using a two-thirds House of 
Representatives override vote. The opposition bloc is again calling 
for the withdrawal of the MSDF. 
 
Such a demand would probably make terrorists and assailants feel 
relieved. Why the refueling mission, which is divorced from the use 
of force, constitutes the use of the right to collective 
self-defense is a mystery. Before that, can Ozawa tell Japanese 
shipping industry people that we are going to block Japan's support 
for the coalition naval forces so seek assistance from coalition 
naval vessels? 
 
The predicament does not just make Japan feel small in the 
international community. It concerns how Japan should operate in the 
world. (Ozawa's demand) is tantamount to saying, let Japan enjoy the 
fruit of the international mutual aid society although it will drop 
out of the society and urging the society to build a world in which 
Japanese people can live safely by forcing all the risks on other 
countries. 
 
When did Japan become such a country? 
 
? Destructive 
 
The international community has been combating terrorism for over 30 
years, but it was still not able to prevent the 9/11 terrorist 
attacks on the United States. There have been many terrorist attacks 
on civilians in Europe and Asia since then. Why? In recent years, 
terrorists' organizational and financial power has increased, and 
the use of information and telecommunications technology has made 
their attacks even more destructive. Their doctrines have become 
more radical, as well. The goal of Osama bin Laden and others is to 
 
TOKYO 00002638  008 OF 010 
 
 
annihilate civilized society. It does not go along with Japan's 
preference for a peaceful settlement. Japan is still on Osama bin 
Laden's list of targets of attacks. 
 
The defending side must go into terrorist bases. One of them is 
Afghanistan, a country producing 93 PERCENT  of opium in the world 
and serving as a basis of Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Originating from 
there, terrorism has spread to Asia. Another breeding ground for 
terrorists is Somalia, anarchy in East Africa. 
 
Coalition naval vessels are deployed in the waters off Somalia to 
block exchanges between the two areas. The MSDF's refueling mission 
is not for supporting the United States but for Japan itself. When 
the world is not safe, Japan is not safe. 
 
Japan is not allowed to stand outside the terrorist bloc by itself. 
 
In 1997, 10 Japanese tourists were killed by terrorists at Luxor, 
Egypt. The 9/11 World Trade Center attacks claimed 24 Japanese 
lives. In some cases, Japanese nationals launched terrorist attacks. 
In 1972, three Japanese men, including Kozo Okamoto, killed 24 
people at a Tel Aviv airport. There was the 1977 "Dacca Incident" as 
well. Terrorism knows no national borders. 
 
? Sense of mission 
 
The Tiananmen Incident occurred in June 1989. Beijing was on the 
verge of chaos because of the clash between the students and the 
People's Liberation Army. The evacuation of Japanese nationals 
seemed imminent, and we informally asked an airline to airlift them 
to Japan. But the airline union did not give its nod of approval. So 
I, a Foreign Ministry official at the time, informally asked the 
United States about the possibility of rescuing Japanese nationals. 
A reply came immediately: "We will extend maximum cooperation. Can 
you assemble those leaving China at one place?" Fortunately, we did 
not have to plan specifics any further. We learned a sense of 
mission from the U.S. government's quick response. 
 
Japan, too, has quite a few civil servants with a strong sense of 
mission. In 1987, it became dangerous to sail through the Persian 
Gulf because of the intensified Iran-Iraq war. Japan received a 
request from the United States to join a multinational fleet to 
escort civilian vessels. 
 
Although sending SDF vessels was politically difficult, the Japan 
Maritime Safety Agency (JMSA) responded to the request. The JMSA 
crafted a plan to deploy patrol boats to the Persian Gulf for 
assisting Japanese vessels. JMSA officials' determination reached 
Transport Minister Ryutaro Hashimto and the minister declared that 
he would board the first patrol boat. Prime Minister Yasuhiro 
Nakasone also endorsed the plan. 
 
The plan eventually fell through due to Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Masaharu Gotoda's strong opposition. But it was a fact that 
arrangements were made to deploy patrol boats to waters 12,000 
kilometers away from Japan in order to defend Japanese vessels. A 
vessel can reach the Persian Gulf by navigating northward after 
passing through the Strait of Hormuz, or can reach off Somalia by 
sailing westward without going through the strait. 
 
Once an order is issued, SDF personnel can demonstrate their high 
morale. Their sense of mission and performance on overseas missions 
 
TOKYO 00002638  009 OF 010 
 
 
are often praised by locals. 
 
? Defending fellow citizens 
 
Dispatching the SDF only to places that are not dangerous is the 
basic principle established through Diet deliberations. If everyone 
stays away from anything dangerous, Japan would not be able to stand 
as a state. As a result, only those who do not have any means to 
defend themselves would go to such a place. 
 
In Afghanistan, there are Japanese nationals working for the Japan 
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) or for nongovernmental 
organizations (NGOs). Most foreign aid workers in Afghanistan are 
protected by their own military or police under the Provincial 
Reconstruction Team (PRT) regime. A total of 27 international teams 
are conducting activities under this regime. There is no team to 
escort Japanese experts. 
 
There are Foreign Ministry officials in Baghdad. There are no SDF 
personnel because the place is dangerous, and the Japanese Embassy 
is guarded by Iraqi guards. In Baghdad, the Japanese Embassy is the 
only embassy that is not guarded by its own troops. 
 
Some 100 Japanese nationals, including aid workers, are living in 
Sudan's capital of Khartoum. Making sure that the city is safe 
before sending a couple of SDF personnel there requires tremendous 
efforts. Even a fact-finding team was sent there. It has been nearly 
six months since Japan received a request form the United Nations, 
but the SDF has not been sent there. 
 
The same is true with oceans. Even after the SDF's departure, 
Japanese commercial ships would have to cruise off Somalia in order 
to pass through the Suez Canal. Japanese tankers have been loading 
crude oil in Iraq after the Takasuzu incident. Without their 
efforts, Japan would run out of crude oil. 
 
What the Diet is trying to secure is not the safety of the general 
public but the safety of SDF troops. There is no other country in 
the world that is trying to such. Given the situation, in the case 
of Japan, "unarmed teams" are assigned to dangerous areas. 
 
Reportedly there is no chance of deploying the SDF to Afghanistan 
because Kazuyo Ito was slain. There are two types of countries in 
the world: those that say we cannot go to a place where our fellow 
citizen was killed and those that say we will go to the defense our 
fellow citizens. 
 
(6) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: Tokyo Shimbun 
 
Nomura strikes deal to buy Lehman's European and Middle Easter 
operations 
 
Mainichi: Yomiuri: Sankei 
Ex-education minister Nakasone likely to be tapped as foreign 
minister in Aso's cabinet to be launched today 
 
Nikkei: 
Aso to be picked prime minister today: To review public health 
insurance scheme for elderly people aged 75 or older; Agreement 
reached on LDP-New Komeito coalition; Review organ to discuss 
 
TOKYO 00002638  010 OF 010 
 
 
regional bloc system to be set up 
 
Akahata: 
Japanese Communist Party is the only party people can depend on 
 
(7) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) We want to ask the New Komeito why it has opted for another 
LDP-New Komeito coalition 
(2) Border-crossing food safety controls necessary 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Ota-led New Komeito: We want a clear cut explanation and action 
 
(2) Falling land prices: Development that does not depend on 
speculative money needed 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Investment in U.S. securities firms: Japanese banks now going on 
offensive 
(2) Melamine-tainted milk: Strict inspection of China-produced food 
needed 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Can Japanese financial institutions grab opportunities in the 
U.S. financial crisis? 
(2) The New Komeito should be aware of its weighty responsibility 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Power-sharing talks between LDP and New Komeito: Revising public 
health insurance scheme for elderly people aged 75 or older is a 
problem 
(2) Realignment of financial institutions throughout the world: Use 
major turmoil in financial market as good opportunity to advance 
into international market 
 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Tainted food products in Japan and China: Japanese and Chinese 
citizens should jointly pursue responsibility 
(2) Pakistan could become a powder keg  in Asia 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Deployment of nuclear aircraft carrier George Washington at 
Yokosuka Naval Base unacceptable 
 
(8) Prime Minister Fukuda's schedule, September 23 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
September 24, 2008 
 
09:34 Attended Autumnal Equinox Festival at Imperial Palace. 
11:21 Returned to his private residence in Nozawa, Tokyo. 
 
SCHIEFFER