Cablegate: Tokyo Media Reaction - Terrorist Attack In

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P 060450Z AUG 08
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INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 9248
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 2987
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4758
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RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0747
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1115
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS TOKYO 002154

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 - TERRORIST ATTACK IN
CHINA AND U.S.-INDIA NUCLEAR AGREEMENT

1. LEAD STORIES: Most Wednesday morning Japanese
newspapers gave prominent front-page coverage to a
series of sudden thunderstorms that hit Tokyo on
Tuesday.

2. "Concerns Remain About Beijing Olympics" The liberal
Mainichi's editorial argued (8/6): "...It should be
noted that the terrorist attack in Xinjiang was not an
indiscriminate act that targeted civilians but one that
was directed at armed policemen. China cannot be
allowed to take advantage of the incident to justify
its oppression of the ethnic Uyghur minority in the
name of counterterrorism. Just like the issue of
Tibetan independence, forcible repression would be
myopic, resulting in additional trouble."

3. "Nuclear Proliferation Must Be Halted" The top-
circulation, moderate Yomiuri editorialized (8/6): "On
the sidelines of the July G8 summit in Japan, President
Bush and Indian Prime Minister Singh held talks and
reportedly agreed to additional efforts to put their
bilateral nuclear accord into force. The NPT allows
countries that renounce nuclear weapons to pursue the
peaceful use of nuclear power. America's assistance for
civilian nuclear projects by India, which is not an NPT
signatory and possesses nuclear weapons, would render
the NPT regime meaningless."

4. "Do Not Ease Vigilance against Nuclear
Proliferation" The business-oriented Nikkei stated in
an editorial (8/6): "...The U.S. has forged a nuclear
cooperation accord with India in order to export
nuclear fuel and related technologies. Even if civilian
nuclear reactors in India are subject to IAEA
inspections based on a safeguard protocol, military
facilities would not be covered. Concerns remain over
the U.S. move to effectively accept India as a nuclear
power and accord it special treatment.... The U.S. may
be hoping to halt nuclear proliferation while
acknowledging the present situation. However, allowing
an exception would fundamentally shake the NPT regime.
In fact, North Korea, having looked at the case of
India, is reportedly asking the U.S. to allow it to
maintain a small number of nuclear weapons in return
for nonproliferation. If this were to be permitted, the
temptation of nuclear weapons would prevail across the
world, including in Iran."

SCHIEFFER

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