VZCZCXRO3392
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #1441 1480358
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 270358Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4547
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
RHMFIUU/USFJ PRIORITY
INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 8006
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 0386
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 6312
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 8598
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 1688
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3558
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2315
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 9556
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0003
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS TOKYO 001441
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 - CYCLONE RELIEF EFFORTS
IN BURMA AND DEMOCRATIZATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
1. LEAD STORIES: Top stories on Tuesday morning
included the death sentence handed down on Monday to
the man who assassinated Nagasaki Mayor Ito in April
2007.
2. "Deep-Rooted Distrust Remains" On Sunday's donor
nation conference in Rangoon, the liberal Tokyo
Shimbun's reporter said from Bangkok (5/26): "Following
the meeting, a cyclone relief mechanism was created
with the UN and ASEAN guaranteeing a framework for
relief operations. Mutual distrust between the junta
and the U.S. and Europe runs deep, however, and a
perception gap remains over the scope of assistance
work. The coordination abilities of the UN and ASEAN
will be tested as they try to smoothly provide aid."
3. "Democratization in Middle East Not Going Anywhere"
The liberal Mainichi's Washington correspondent wrote
(5/26): "...During his recent tour in the Middle East,
President Bush took every opportunity to call for
democratization in the region.... He may have viewed
the trip as a good opportunity to put forward a grand
design for security in the Middle East that trumpets
the significance of peace talks. He launched a war of
ideology to pit the 'virtue' of democracy against
'evil.' However, as he returned to the U.S., two
developments occured in the region without any U.S.
involvement -- the resumption of peace talks between
Syria and Israel brokered by Turkey, and an agreement
in Lebanon to form a cabinet between the pro-U.S.
ruling coalition and the opposition bloc, which is
close to Syria and Iran. President Bush's message of
not negotiating with but containing 'evil' failed to
get across to them."
SCHIEFFER