Cablegate: Defmin Nukaga Letter to Secdef On Iraq Deployment

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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKO #3515 1740947
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O 230947Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD IMMEDIATE 0122
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3636
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
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RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHMFIUU/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS TOKYO 003515

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS MOPS PREL IZ JA
SUBJECT: DEFMIN NUKAGA LETTER TO SECDEF ON IRAQ DEPLOYMENT

1. (U) Embassy has received a letter from Defense Minister
Nukaga to Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld dated June 22
regarding the changes to Japan's deployment of Self-Defense
Forces in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (full text in
para 2; original to follow via pouch).

2. (U) The letter, received from JDA Operations Bureau
contacts on June 23, expresses gratitude for U.S. assistance
during the Ground Self-Defense Forces' deployment to Al
Muthanna province, and pledges a continued role for the
Self-Defense Forces in providing airlift for coalition forces
and the United Nations, and support for counter-terrorism
operations in the Indian Ocean.

3. (U) Begin letter text (labeled "provisional translation"):

The Honorable Donald Henry Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense

SIPDIS
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000

Dear Secretary Rumsfeld,

As I understand your schedule is very tight, I hope you do
not object that I chose to write to you instead of giving you
a call personally.

Following the announcement of the transfer of authority in Al
Muthanna Province in Iraq, the Japanese Government announced
on June 20 that it will redeploy the Ground Self-Defense
Force Reconstruction Group from the province.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude
for the U.S. forces' various assistance to our forces, which
has been afforded from the predeployment phase to the present.

As I mentioned at out last meeting in Singapore as well as on
other occasions, even after the Ground Self-Defense Force has
redeployed to Japan, Japan will continue to dispatch liaison
officers to the multinational forces headquarters in Baghdad
and continue to provide airlifts by the Air Self-Defense
Force to assist the multinational forces and the United
Nations, adding Baghdad and Erbil to the cities to which
airlifts will be provided.

The Self-Defense Forces will continue to engage in activities
to support the reconstruction of Iraq and activities in the
Indian Ocean for the fight against terrorism, thereby taking
an active role to achieve our common goals in the
international community.

I hope we can continue to work closely together in order to
further strengthen our cooperative relationship under the
U.S.-Japan alliance.

Sincerely,

// s //

Fukushiro Nukaga
Minister of State for Defense
Director-General of Defense Agency

End text.
SCHIEFFER

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