Cablegate: Tokyo Media Reaction - Georgia

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UNCLAS TOKYO 005216

SIPDIS

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 - GEORGIA

LEAD STORIES: Lead stories in Tuesday morning papers
included Monday's Lower House committee passage of the
GOJ's new antiterrorism legislation.

1. "Rose Revolution Losing Appeal" The
business-oriented Nikkei editorialized (11/13): "Four
years ago, a peaceful democratization movement called
the 'Rose Revolution' displaced then Georgian President
Shevardnadze and led to the election of Saakashvili as
the nation's new leader. Ironically, however, the
supposedly democratic President Saakashvili has
mobilized police to contain protestors and has declared
a state of emergency. The Rose Revolution is now losing
its appeal.... President Saakashvili claims that he has
taken such strong-arm measures because Russia was
behind 'antigovernment forces' and was planning a coup
against him. This is unconvincing. Opposition forces
who have led the demonstrations insist that they are
taking a harder line toward Russia than the president.
The truth about the confusion in Georgian politics is
that it appears to be not a confrontation between pro-
and anti-Russian camps, but rather an internal conflict
among these 'democratic forces' that took power in the
Rose Revolution."

DONOVAN

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