INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Tokyo Media Reaction - Iraq

Published: Mon 13 Aug 2007 03:05 AM
VZCZCXRO8274
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #3703 2250305
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 130305Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6398
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
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RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
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RUHBANB/OKINAWA FLD OFC US FORCES JAPAN CP BUTLER JA PRIORITY
RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA PRIORITY
INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 2523
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 4948
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 1552
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UNCLAS TOKYO 003703
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 - IRAQ
LEAD STORIES: There were no papers published on Monday
morning because of a press holiday. Quasi-governmental
broadcaster NHK-TV reported on Prime Minister Abe's
plan to reshuffle his cabinet and top LDP executive
posts around August 27. Speculation is already rife
that Foreign Minister Aso will assume the post of LDP
secretary general.
SIPDIS
"Iraq's al-Maliki Government Disintegrating" Cairo
correspondent Muneo Takahashi of the liberal Mainichi
wrote (8/12): "The al-Maliki government of Iraq is
quickly disintegrating, with 17 Shiite, Sunni, and
nonsectarian members of his cabinet having resigned or
boycotted cabinet meetings. Considering that the
cabinet is missing nearly half of its 40 members, the
Iraqi government is a long way from realizing its
political goal of promoting national reconciliation....
Although PM al-Maliki has been supported by Kurds and
Shiites, with the exception of forces loyal to Shiite
cleric al-Sadr, his relations with the Kurds are not
rock solid.... Gen. Petraeus, who is the top US
commander in Iraq, and US Ambassador to Iraq Crocker
are expected to submit a status report to Congress by
September 15. Congress will probably evaluate the Bush
administration's troop dispatch plans after examining
the report. As things stand, however, lawmakers, mainly
the Democratic majority, will inevitably step up their
criticism of President Bush's Iraq policy."
SCHIEFFER
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