Cablegate: Tokyo Media Reaction - North Korea

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UNCLAS TOKYO 000983

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 - NORTH KOREA

1. LEAD STORIES: Top stories on Thursday morning
included Wednesday's one-one-one Diet debate between
Prime Minister Fukuda and DPJ President Ozawa.

2. "Don't Be Baited by North Korea" The conservative
Sankei editorialized (4/10): "...Even after the
U.S.-DPRK talks in Singapore, there is no clear path
toward the denuclearization of North Korea.... As only
nine months remain until the end of President Bush's
term, his administration needs to show progress on the
matter. The DPRK appears to be trying to string the
U.S. along while it waits to see what happens in the
ongoing presidential election.... The direction that
the U.S. and Japan should take is to enhance their
alliance while producing steady progress on both the
nuclear and abduction issues. The Bush administration
must not be taken in by Pyongyang's games. Washington
should carefully check the contents of the nuclear
declaration North Korea is to produce, and we would
also like to see it review how delisting Pyongyang as a
state sponsor of terrorism fits into the overall
process of denuclearizing North Korea."

MESERVE

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