VZCZCXRO8942
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #3165 1920835
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 110835Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5400
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI//N541// PRIORITY
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 2006
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 4426
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 1098
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 2803
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 5595
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7840
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1767
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 3900
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4983
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS TOKYO 003165
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: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - PAKISTAN MOSQUE SIEGE
LEAD STORIES: Most Wednesday morning papers front-paged
the continuing fighting between Pakistani army
commandos and rebel Islamist clerics at the Red Mosque
in Islamabad.
1. "Mosque Siege: Breeding Grounds for Terrorists
Should Not Be Neglected" An editorial in the top-
circulation, moderate Yomiuri commented (7/11): "What
effect will Pakistan's difficult decision to use force
against Islamist militants at the Red Mosque have on
its shaky internal political situation and the fight
against terrorism? The international community should
keep a close watch on what Pakistan does next....
President Musharraf had initially taken a 'carrot and
stick' approach to the clerics and their militant
followers. He hardened his stance, however, after
learning that there were many wanted terrorists
connected with al-Qaeda among those holed up in the
mosque. With the world's attention focused on the
situation there, Musharraf apparently took action in
the view that a failure to do so would have subjected
him to withering international criticism. Even so, some
observers have attributed the incident to a lack of
leadership on Musharraf's part. In Pakistan, madrassas
have served as a breeding ground for terrorists in
recent years, instilling in their students
anti-American sentiment and a belief in jihad...."
SCHIEFFER