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UNCLAS TOKYO 002844 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR, 
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM; 
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; 
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI; 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA; 
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE; 
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA'S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE, 
IRAQ, AND NORTH KOREA 
 
¶1. LEAD STORIES: All Friday morning papers gave prominent front-page 
coverage to the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to President Obama in Oslo 
on Thursday. 
 
¶2. "President Obama's Distress over 'War and Peace'" On a speech 
delivered by President Obama upon his acceptance of the Nobel Peace 
Prize, the conservative Sankei wrote from Washington (12/11): "At 
the beginning of his speech, President Obama touched upon a 
political philosophy theme concerning the 'difficult relationship 
between war and peace.' This reflects the distress of the U.S. 
leader, who by receiving the prize has been tasked with the role of 
'agent of peace.' As the leader in command of the war on terrorism, 
President Obama declared that 'peace requires responsibility, and 
peace entails sacrifice.' He thus made clear his responsibility for 
implementing peace under U.S. leadership." 
 
¶3. "President Torn between War and Non-Violence" A correspondent 
with the liberal Asahi reported from Oslo: "The address illustrated 
that President Obama is torn between the reality of the U.S. 
fighting two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the ideal of 
non-violence. He tried to address the gap between the international 
community, which has higher expectations for ideals that were set 
forth by the President on the issues of arms control and global 
warming, and the U.S. public, which reacted coolly to the peace 
prize that was awarded in the absence of diplomatic 
accomplishments." 
 
¶4. "Strong Will and Security Called For" On a recent series of 
terrorist bombings in Baghdad, the liberal Tokyo Shimbun 
editorialized (12/11): "News about terrorist incidents spread across 
the Middle East instantly. Anxiety and distrust have begun emerging 
in Pakistan where a number of terrorist incidents have occurred 
recently. If an impression of shortcomings brought on by the U.S. 
military's withdrawal from urban areas becomes widespread, the 
situation will be adversely affected not just in Iraq but also in 
Afghanistan, where additional U.S. troops are set to be deployed. 
Now is the time for the Iraqi government and the U.S. military to 
step up their mutual coordination." 
 
¶5. "North Korea Must Return to Six-Party Talks" An editorial in the 
liberal Asahi insisted (12/11): "What is important right now at a 
time when bilateral talks have just been resumed between the U.S. 
and North Korea is to prevent North Korea from taking selfish 
actions that will cause tensions to escalate. To that end, it is 
important to stabilize the current trend toward dialogue and have 
North Korea return to the Six-Party negotiating table. While the 
prospects for U.S.-DPRK dialogue remain uncertain, the U.S., which 
holds the key to North Korea's nuclear problem, and China, which 
chairs the Six-Party Talks, should continue to try to persuade [the 
DPRK to return to the multinational framework.]" 
 
ROOS