VZCZCXRO4114
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #1562 1610322
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 090322Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4877
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 8238
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 0613
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 6518
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 8828
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 1929
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3784
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2338
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 9783
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0210
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS TOKYO 001562
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 - STATUS OF FORCES
AGREEMENT WITH IRAQ AND HIGH OIL PRICES
1. LEAD STORIES: There were no papers on Monday morning
because of a press holiday. Coverage of Sunday's random
stabbings of pedestrians in Tokyo's Akihabara district
dominated Monday morning TV news shows.
2. "Negotiations Stalled over SOFA with Iraq" The
liberal Tokyo Shimbun wrote from Cairo (6/8): "U.S.
negotiations with Iraq have snagged on an arrangement
intended to enable a continued U.S. military presence
there beyond December 31. While the U.S. hopes to seal
an accord by the end of July, opposition is mounting in
Iraq and among its neighbors in the opinion that such a
deal might lead to permanent U.S. bases in Iraq. The
issue is likely to become a new source of trouble in
Iraq, which has been marred by sectarian strife....
President Maliki, who is anxious to deepen Iraq's ties
with neighboring Sunni-controlled governments, hopes to
use a continued U.S. military presence to send the
message that his government will not be a puppet of
Shiite-dominated Iran."
3. "Energy Ministerial Fails to Devise Countermeasures"
On the energy ministerial held Saturday in Japan among
the U.S., Japan, China, South Korea, and India, the top-
circulation, moderate Yomiuri argued (6/8): "While the
ministerial could have served as a great opportunity to
stem the flow of 'hot money' into the oil market, it
turned out to highlight the difficulty in achieving
unity among oil consumers.... Because of the differing
views between developed and developing nations,
participants at the ministerial ended up merely
agreeing that surging oil prices are a serious
concern."
SCHIEFFER