VZCZCXRO1521
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #1727 1760228
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240228Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5346
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 8543
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 0919
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 6797
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 9128
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 2272
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4072
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2388
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0066
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0482
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS TOKYO 001727
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 - NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR
PROGRAM AND EMERGENCY ENERGY SUMMIT IN SAUDI ARABIA
1. LEAD STORIES: Several Tuesday morning papers gave
front-page coverage to the finding that North Korea
will submit a nuclear declaration on June 26.
2. "Fukuda Needs to Hold Talks with U.S. President" On
the apparent accelerated move by the Bush
administration to remove North Korea from the list of
state sponsors of terrorism in return for its
anticipated submission of a nuclear declaration, the
conservative Sankei asserted (6/24): "Concerns that the
abduction issue might be forgotten are becoming a
reality. Prime Minister Fukuda should once again send a
strong message to the U.S. that Japan is opposed to
delisting without progress on the abduction front.
Speaking directly with President Bush by phone is one
approach. U.S.-Japan relations are very important, and
delisting could damage the bilateral alliance. It is
important for Fukuda to remind President Bush again of
this point."
3. "U.S. Prioritizes Denuclearization" The liberal
Asahi wrote (6/23): "North Korea will submit a nuclear
declaration on June 26. It has invited journalists from
the six-party member states to visit the country in
order to have them broadcast the destruction of a
cooling tower, which will take place after the U.S.
initiates steps toward delisting. The expected
declaration is likely to be imperfect given that it
will not include data concerning the number of North
Korea's nuclear weapons. Still, the U.S. appears to be
giving foremost priority to advancing the
denuclearization process."
4. "Don't Rely Too Much on Saudi Arabia" The liberal
Tokyo Shimbun editorialized (6/23): "Saudi Arabia
expressed its readiness to increase oil production in
order to address anxiety about supply shortages and to
stabilize petroleum prices. However, depending solely
on the actions of oil producers is unwise. Consumer
nations, for their part, should play a role in cooling
down the market by reining in speculative money."
5. "Enhanced Coordination Needed with Producers" The
conservative Sankei argued in an editorial (6/23): "The
surge in oil prices cannot be addressed with a single
approach. It needs to be dealt with by issuing various
messages and by steadily implementing available
countermeasures. Continued discord between producers
and consumers would only allow 'hot money' to cash in
on such disarray."
SCHIEFFER