VZCZCXRO8564
PP RUEHFK
DE RUEHKO #1197 0780300
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 190300Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1790
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
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RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA// PRIORITY
RUHBANB/OKINAWA FLD OFC US FORCES JAPAN CP BUTLER JA PRIORITY
RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA PRIORITY
INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 0276
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 3789
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6204
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1558
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3596
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UNCLAS TOKYO 001197
SIPDIS
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: MEDIA REACTION Q IRAQ - TOKYO
LEAD STORIES: Monday morning's business daily Nihon
Keizai front-paged the resumption of the six-party talks
in Beijing that day.
1. "Iraq War Four Years On: Dialogue Needed to End
Sectarian and Ethnic Violence" The moderate Tokyo Shimbun
editorialized (3/19): "Tuesday marks the fourth
anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, with the
ensuing sectarian and ethnic violence drawing the country
further into the quicksand of a growing conflict and
threatening the security of the entire Middle East. At
long last, neighboring countries and members of the
international community sat down earlier this month to
discuss peace and stability in Iraq, and we hope that a
path to peace can be found.... Following the Republican
losses in the midterm elections last fall, the Bush
administration decided to send more than 20,000
additional troops to Iraq to launch a large-scale
operation against insurgents in and around Baghdad in
cooperation with Iraqi security forces, though the
administration continues to face criticism of its Iraq
policy and growing calls in the US for a withdrawal....
Attempts to resolve the crisis through military action
are doomed to failure.... The international community is
eager to see order restored in Iraq, and the recently
convened international conference could present an
opportunity to make that a reality."
SCHIEFFER