Japan FM cancels trip due to Korea nuclear "link"

[Pervaiz_K]

Japanese FM cancels visit

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Japan has cancelled the visit of its Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi to Islamabad after she, during her recent visit to the United States, was reportedly provided ‘substantial’ evidence about Pakistan’s cooperation with North Korea in nuclear technology.

Diplomatic sources told Daily Times this decision was taken at a high-level meeting in Tokyo. “The Japanese foreign minister, who was scheduled to visit Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka from January 6 to 14, is not coming to Pakistan.” “Now she would only be visiting India and Sri Lanka,” sources said.

They said she was due to sign an economic package with Pakistan and hold talks to defuse tensions between Islamabad and Delhi. Sources said during her recent visit to the US, the minister was provided with substantial evidence regarding Pakistan-North Korea nuclear links.

Meanwhile, reports in the Japanese media claimed that Pakistan had secretly informed the US that a number of its scientists and military officers were ‘personally’ involved in providing nuclear technology to North Korea.

The information was passed on about two years ago in response to a US request for probes into Pakistan’s suspected nuclear transfer to North Korea, Jiji Press news agency said. The agency, quoting intelligence sources, said President Musharraf set up an investigative team within the army in 2000 to comply with the US request. But the Pakistani government, in a report to Washington, said it was not involved in the transfer, which it attributed to ‘personal’ links, Jiji said. The contact has not been made public by either government.

The team discovered remittances worth tens of thousands of dollars had been deposited in the personal accounts of scientists at the Kahuta laboratory outside Islamabad and senior military officers,’ Jiji said. Some of the account owners admitted the remittances were a ‘reward from North Korea,’ the agency said.

[H Khan]

.c Kyodo News Service

TOKYO, Dec. 27 (Kyodo) - (EDS: UPDATING WITH KAWAGUCHI'S VISIT TO FRANCE)

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi will make a five-day visit to Sri Lanka and India from Jan. 5 and will visit France in mid-January, Foreign Ministry officials said Friday.

Kawaguchi had initially planned to make a 10-day trip to Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Belgium and France, but Kawaguchi told a press conference earlier in the day that the trip has been cut short to attend to other commitments in Japan.

Kawaguchi is believed to have reached the decision as the situations concerning North Korea and Iraq are expected to remain tense and as Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will be out of the country to visit Russia from Jan. 9 to 12.

After returning to Japan from Sri Lanka and India on the morning of Jan. 9, she will leave for France in the afternoon of Jan. 12 and return to Japan on Jan. 14, the officials said.

Kawaguchi said that during the trip to Sri Lanka and India she will express Japan's support to help establish peace in Sri Lanka and its commitment to strengthen relations with India.

She will arrive in Colombo via Bangkok in the afternoon of Jan. 5 and meet with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando the following day, the officials said.

She will then arrive in Delhi in the morning of Jan. 7 and meet with Indian External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha later in the day, before departing Delhi the following day, they said.

She will leave Japan for France on Jan. 12, and on Jan. 13 she will pay a courtesy call on President Jacques Chirac and meet with Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin later the same day, the officials said.



12/27/02 05:19 EST

[SyedA]

I hope CHina strangles them economically with their down the drain economy.

[Noman]

Originally posted by SyedA
I hope CHina strangles them economically with their down the drain economy.

Why ?

If we set aside our emotions and look at this incident dispassionately, Japan is simply looking out for its own interests. IF Pakistanis have helped the NK nuclear program in ANY way, then we should also know that if push comes to shove, one of the NK targets WILL be the US bases in Japan, if not the cities.

In other words, any country or person helping NK nukes IS helping a country which HAS threatened Japan.

Can we blame Japan for looking out for its own interest ? I think not. I think their reaction is a mild one.

From what I know of the thinking in Pakistan, I am willing to bet that if there was any official / semi official collaboration with NK, no one probably even THOUGHT of how this would affect our ties with other countries in the region, like Japan, South Korea etc.

I consider any deal with NK involving nuclear technology as being an extremely shortsighted mistake. Just something which our 'powers that be' will make. After all no one in Pk even thinks of, let alone looks at, the possible long term reprecussions of such 'strategic' deals.

[Pervez Nawaz]

the sooner we get rid of the yanks from our soil the better
i pray daily for their so called rambos to dies

erik Morgalis today has posted that the USA is not have a field day in afghansitan as they claim and he is quoting UN.


Details Of US Victory In
Afghanistan Premature
By Eric Margolis
Contributing Foreign Editor
Toronto Sun
12-27-2

On the frigid night of Dec. 24, 1979, Soviet airborne forces seized Kabul airport. Elite Alpha Group commandos sped to the presidential palace, burst into the bedroom of Afghan President Hafizullah Amin and gunned him down. Columns of Soviet armour crossed the border and raced south toward Kabul. It took Soviet forces only a few days to occupy Afghanistan. They installed a puppet ruler, Babrak Karmal. Moscow proclaimed it had invaded Afghanistan to "liberate" it from "feudalism and Islamic extremism" and "nests of terrorists and bandits."

Soviet propaganda churned out films of Red Army soldiers playing with children, building schools, dispensing medical care. Afghan women were to be liberated from the veil and other backward Islamic customs. The Soviet Union and its local communist allies would bring Afghanistan into the 20th century.

Two years later, Afghans had risen against their Soviet "liberators" and were waging a low-intensity guerrilla war. Unable to control the countryside, Moscow poured more troops into Afghanistan. The Soviet-run Afghan Army had poor morale and less fighting zeal. The KGB-run Afghan secret police, KhAD, jailed and savagely tortured tens of thousands of "Islamic terrorists," then called "freedom fighters" in the West. Fast forward to December, 2002, and a disturbing sense of deja vu. A new foreign army has easily occupied Afghanistan, overthrown the "feudal" Taliban government and installed a puppet regime in Kabul. Western media churn out the same rosy, agitprop stories the Soviets did about liberating Afghanistan, freeing women, educating children. The only real difference is that kids in today's TV clips are waving American instead of Soviet flags. The invaders have changed; the propaganda remains the same. America's invasion of Afghanistan in October, 2001, was billed as an epic military victory and the model of future imperial expeditions to pacify Third World malefactors. Since then, news about this war-ravaged land has grown scarce. America's limited attention has turned elsewhere.

Afghanistan in chaos

In fact, America's Afghan adventure has gotten off to as poor a start as that of the Soviet Union. The U.S.-installed ruler of Kabul, veteran CIA asset Hamid Karzai, must be protected from his own people by up to 200 U.S. bodyguards. Much of Afghanistan is in chaos, fought over by feuding warlords and drug barons.

There are almost daily attacks on U.S. occupation forces. My old mujahedin sources say U.S. casualties and equipment losses in Afghanistan are far higher than Washington is reporting - and are rising.

American troops are operating from the old Soviet bases at Bagram and Shindand, retaliating, like the Soviets, against mujahedin attacks on U.S. forces by heavily bombing nearby villages. The CIA is trying to assassinate Afghan nationalist leaders opposed to the Karzai regime in Kabul, in particular my old acquaintance Gulbadin Hekmatyar.

North of the Hindu Kush mountains, America's Afghan ally, the Tajik-Uzbek Northern Alliance, has long been a proxy of the Russians. The chief of the Russian general staff and head of intelligence directed the Alliance in its final attack on the Taliban last fall. Russia then supplied Alliance forces with $100 million in arms, and is providing $85 million worth of helicopters, tanks, artillery and spare parts, as well as military advisors and technicians. Russia now dominates much of northern Afghanistan. The Taliban, according to the United Nations drug agency, had almost shut down opium-morphine-heroin production. America's ally, the Northern Alliance, has revived the illicit trade. Since the U.S. overthrew the Taliban, opium cultivation has soared from 185 tons a year to 2,700. The Northern Alliance, which dominates the Kabul regime, finances its arms-buying and field operations with drug money. President George Bush's war on drugs collided with his war on terrorism - and lost. The U.S. is now, in effect, colluding in the heroin trade.

Anti-American Afghan forces - the Taliban, al-Qaida, and others - have regrouped and are mounting ever larger attacks on U.S. troops and, reports the UN, even reopening training camps. Taliban mujahedin are using the same sophisticated early alert system they developed to monitor Soviet forces in the 1980s to warn of American search-and-destroy missions before they leave base. As a result, U.S. troops keep chasing shadows. Canadians fared no better.

In the sole major battle since the Taliban's overthrow, Operation Anaconda, U.S. forces were bested by veteran Afghan mujahedin, losing two helicopters. The ongoing cost of Afghan operations is a closely guarded secret. Earlier this year, the cost of stationing 8,000 American troops, backed by warplanes and naval units, was estimated at $5 billion US monthly! The CIA spends millions every month to bribe Pushtun warlords.

Costs will rise as the U.S. expands bases in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan and Uzbekistan - all placed along the planned U.S.-owned pipeline that will bring Central Asian oil south through Afghanistan.

The UN reports the Taliban and al-Qaida on the offensive, Afghan women remain veiled and the country is in a dangerous mess. Declaring victory in

Afghanistan may have been premature.

Eric can be reached by e-mail at margolis@foreigncorrespondent.com.
http://www.canoe.ca/Columnists/margolis_dec22.html

[Sultan]

(sorry not related to the Japanese FM cancelled visit but since it is a topic about FM's I thought I'd post it here As it does not warrant a new thread)


ISLAMABAD (December 28 2002) : The Foreign Minister of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al-Thani called on the President, General Pervez Musharraf here on Friday and delivered a message regarding the recently concluded Annual Summit of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries in Doha.

During the meeting, the President and the Qatar's Foreign Minister exchanged views on the tense situation prevailing in the Middle East and Iraq.

They expressed concern at the possibility of a military action hoping that a peaceful solution will be found in accordance with international law and principles of the United Nations Charter.

The Qatar's Foreign Minister who was on a brief visit as envoy of the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, conveyed to the President best wishes and greetings of the Emir of Qatar.

He also extended an invitation on behalf of the Emir of Qatar to the President.

The President Musharraf warmly reciprocated the greetings of the Emir of Qatar and conveyed his thanks for sending his Special Envoy.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Mian Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri was also present during the meeting with the President.

Earlier, the Foreign Minister of Qatar held a separate meeting with Foreign Minister Mian Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri in which bilateral relations, regional situation, Afghanistan, Middle East and Iraq were discussed.

The visiting Foreign Minister assured that the Qatar's government would positively consider investing in Pakistan and facilitating in providing more employment opportunities to Pakistan.

He also said that Pakistani firms would be welcome in the fields of infrastructure development and construction.

Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al-Thani extended an invitation to the Foreign Minister Mian Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri to visit Qatar, which was accepted.

The dates of the visit would be worked out by the Foreign Offices of the two countries.

Pakistan enjoys warm and friendly relations with Qatar, which are based on abiding bonds of common faith and cultural affinity.

The visit of the Qatar Emir's Special Envoy, soon after the conclusion of the GCC Summit, is reflective of the importance that the GCC countries attach to Pakistan as an important member of the Ummah.-APP

Copyright 2002 APP (Published under arrangements with Associated Press of Pakistan)

[Saad Hasan]

NK poses no threat to any country whatso ever, if was'nt for the belligerant manner in which Bush is implementing his doctrine, we would have seen further progress in the reapproachment between the two Koreas and perhaps some serious discussion on an inevitable reunification. Acquiring technology for delivery systems of our nuclear weapons can in no way be termed as "short-sighted"........

[uazim]

Pakistani FO is a joke and their spokesperson initially said that there was no tour planned and now they are saying that it was cancelled due to "scheduling problems", give me a break. They need to realize that they can not fool anyone with these tricks anymore

Japanese FM's visit cancelled


By Our Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi's visit to the country next month has been cancelled because of scheduling problems, government officials said on Friday.

Pakistan was informed of the cancellation on Thursday when the Japanese ambassador visited the Foreign Office, Dawn learnt.

While diplomatic sources did not outright rule out the possibility of the cancellation being linked to the alleged nuclear cooperation with North Korea, the foreign affairs ministry categorically denied the existence of such a linkage.

Diplomatic sources confirmed the ministry's position that the cancellation of Minister Kawaguchi's visit would have no impact on any economic cooperation agreement.

The officials said the minister had also postponed visits to some European destinations.

The visit, scheduled for Jan 6 to 7, was part of her South Asian region sojourn, that included India and Sri Lanka. The visits to India and Sri Lanka are still on.

Sources said Japanese foreign ministers had not been to India and Sri Lanka for more than five years but they had visited Pakistan twice in the last year.

http://www.dawn.com/2002/12/28/nat22.htm

[Pervaiz_K]

Ominous Japanese signals

JAPANESE Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi's remark in an interview to The Hindu, that Japan considers India a 'strategic partner' in the new context of the war on 'global terrorism,' should provoke concern in Pakistan in itself. Coupled with her expression of concern about Pakistan's alleged nuclear cooperation with North Korea, it assumes ominous proportions. It is also to be seen in the context of Ms Kawaguchi's reduction of her 10-day foreign tour to five days, in the process dropping her visit to Pakistan, while retaining the trip to India. Considering the traditional subtlety of Japanese diplomacy, these are strong negative signals, and represent a major shift in Japan's approach to South Asia. The US tilt towards India has apparently now influenced Japanese policy, and it seems that Japan too is going to give preferential treatment to India.

Japan is both Pakistan's biggest aid donor and its largest trading partner. The relationship between the two countries has always been much smoother and less demanding than the Pak-US relationship, for instance, because Japan has deliberately eschewed a high political profile internationally, preferring to concentrate on economic relations. Japan has not turned a blind eye to violations of democracy in Pakistan, but it has never been sanctions on Pakistan, but then Japan has appreciated Pakistan's as hectoring as the USA or the European Union. The nuclear issue has caused differences, which have been reflected in Japanese peculiar situation. Why then the change? Perhaps because Japan gives immense importance to the prospect of North Korea nuclearising, as it represents a direct threat to Japanese territory. As the only country to have suffered nuclear attack, Japanese sensibilities on this issue cannot be underestimated.
Therefore, Pakistan must work hard to reassure the Japanese government of its innocence of any support for the North Korean nuclear programme, harder even than assuring the USA. The pattern in which the USA drew closer to India, and thus came under its influence in dealing with Pakistan, must not be repeated with Japan. At one level, this relationship is more important than with the USA, and its previous cordiality must be preserved, even if Pakistan has to go the extra mile.

http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/040103/editor/ed3.htm

[osman]

Let the japanees make some noice, it would be unrealistic from them to remain quiet. Our FO shpuld be put into high gear to clear the japanees on these quiet absurd reports about nuclear material being transported in coffins which looks like a cheap James bond novel.

[Sultan]

Our FO shpuld be put into high gear to clear the japanees on these quiet absurd reports about nuclear material being transported in coffins which looks like a cheap James bond novel.

Whatever you do DONOT put the FO in charge of trying to deal with this mess. They'll just f*ck it up. The amount of damage done by the propaganda material will require a high level meeting by Musharraf himself. The failure of the FO to exercise damage control and contain the issue there and then has allowed it brew in the media and hence such reports like nuclear material being transported in coffins have emerged! I was concerned about the state of relations between Islamabad - Tokyo and Seoul and the associated repercussions, when the first news reports emerged of Pak-N. Korean WMD cooperation and unfortunately the scenario has emerged as I had predicted, mainly as a result of the inept Pakistani PR machinery and largely clueless FO.

[Lazarus]

I notice that the firts article above is from daily Times.

Those here who know of daily Times would also know that this paper invents its own "spin" on Pak related news.

When the Jap FM cancelled the trip to Pak even my dog could have guessed that the Japs are not very happy. But all this rubbish about "evidence provided by US" is rubbish.

The reason why rags like Daily Times get away with it that who is going to sue them.

The only -ve outcome is that other lazy reporters pickup the story from Times and then after a while no one can remember how the whole thing started.


Japs hate Indians. They have helped Pak extensively. Lets keep them sweet.

[Pervaiz_K]

Japan says Pakistan-N.Korea tech deal may hit ties

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


NEW DELHI, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said on Tuesday the reported secret transfer of nuclear and missile technology between Pakistan and North Korea would have an impact on ties between Tokyo and Islamabad.

The New York Times newspaper reported in November that Pakistan had provided North Korea with technology needed to make enriched uranium for nuclear weapons in return for missile parts.

"This would naturally have an impact on bilateral relations between Japan and Pakistan if this was continuing or taking place," Sarna quoted Kawaguchi as telling Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha.

Pakistan denied the reports at the time and said it was confident there had been no security breach in its nuclear programme.

Islamabad has allied itself with Washington in the declared war on terrorism and Washington has warned it will lose international goodwill if it was found to be helping Pyongyang with nuclear technology.

Pyongyang last month expelled U.N. inspectors and vowed to restart a reactor which had been idle since a 1994 pact froze its nuclear programme in exchange for oil from the West.

Kawaguchi's visit to India coincided with a meeting between U.S., Japanese and South Korean officials in Washington to discuss how to deal with North Korea's nuclear threat.

North Korea has said economic sanctions over its nuclear programme would mean war.

[Pervaiz_K]

This crap has gone way beyond blaming newspapers or media. This could be similar to Pressler Amendment in 1990. But with Japan, it could have serious economic impact.

[Fahad Burney]

I think its time for the Musharraf to visit Japan. Make it for whatever reason, he should go there and speak to the Japanese leadership in person and clear this matter.

And, IF pakistan did help NK with its nuke programme, then Musharraf should do everything to show Japan that it is still seen as an important ally; even if it means giving them intel on NK nuke programme or what they have/haven't got.