INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Tokyo Media Reaction - Dprk

Published: Tue 17 Jul 2007 01:20 AM
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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 - DPRK
LEAD STORIES: Most Tuesday morning media gave top play
to the major earthquake which struck Niigata, Nagano
and other prefectures, killing at least eight persons
and injuring 900 others.
1. "Continue Pressure on DPRK Nuclear Disablement" The
top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri editorialized (7/17):
"... North Korea declared it has shut down its Yongbyon
nuclear facilities. IAEA Director General ElBaradei
said IAEA inspectors, visiting the Yongbyon complex,
confirmed the facilities' shutdown.... If and when IAEA
inspectors seal the shut-down North Korean nuclear
facilities, it will be able to apply the brake, for the
time being, on the production of plutonium, which could
be used to produce nuclear weapons. Nonetheless, it is
always possible to reactivate shut-down nuclear
reactors. The North has a history of going back on the
1994 Agreed Framework, expelling IAEA inspectors from
the Yongbyon complex and of unsealing and reactivating
its nuclear facilities. As a result, the North Koreans
have since produced amounts of plutonium equivalent to
manufacturing 10 nuclear weapons and even conducted a
nuclear test. The North cannot be allowed to repeat
such things."
2. "Aim of 6-Party Talks is DPRK's Nuclear Disablement"
An editorial in the business-oriented Nihon Keizai
commented (7/17): "... IAEA Director General
ElBaradei's remarks confirming the shutdown of the
Yongbyon nuclear complex is no more than the start of
'initial steps' toward denuclearization.... In a sense,
the North Korean shutdown this time of the Yongbyon
complex was a mere reversion to its status about 25
years ago, being far from a thorough abandonment of its
nuclear development programs. Under the present
circumstances, the six nations will have to open the
way to the 'next step' toward denuclearization at a
meeting of chief delegates to the six-party talks
opening Wednesday in Beijing.... About 950,000 tons of
heavy heating oil and humanitarian relief goods will be
offered to North Korea in exchange for the North's
thorough disclosure of its nuclear programs and
disablement of all its nuclear facilities. It is only
natural that Japan should abide by the position of not
giving any assistance to the North without progress on
the abduction issue."
SCHIEFFER
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