Cablegate: Tokyo Media Reaction - Cyclone Relief Efforts

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UNCLAS TOKYO 001441

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 - CYCLONE RELIEF EFFORTS
IN BURMA AND DEMOCRATIZATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

1. LEAD STORIES: Top stories on Tuesday morning
included the death sentence handed down on Monday to
the man who assassinated Nagasaki Mayor Ito in April
2007.

2. "Deep-Rooted Distrust Remains" On Sunday's donor
nation conference in Rangoon, the liberal Tokyo
Shimbun's reporter said from Bangkok (5/26): "Following
the meeting, a cyclone relief mechanism was created
with the UN and ASEAN guaranteeing a framework for
relief operations. Mutual distrust between the junta
and the U.S. and Europe runs deep, however, and a
perception gap remains over the scope of assistance
work. The coordination abilities of the UN and ASEAN
will be tested as they try to smoothly provide aid."

3. "Democratization in Middle East Not Going Anywhere"
The liberal Mainichi's Washington correspondent wrote
(5/26): "...During his recent tour in the Middle East,
President Bush took every opportunity to call for
democratization in the region.... He may have viewed
the trip as a good opportunity to put forward a grand
design for security in the Middle East that trumpets
the significance of peace talks. He launched a war of
ideology to pit the 'virtue' of democracy against
'evil.' However, as he returned to the U.S., two
developments occured in the region without any U.S.
involvement -- the resumption of peace talks between
Syria and Israel brokered by Turkey, and an agreement
in Lebanon to form a cabinet between the pro-U.S.
ruling coalition and the opposition bloc, which is
close to Syria and Iran. President Bush's message of
not negotiating with but containing 'evil' failed to
get across to them."

SCHIEFFER

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