{news} Fw: USGP-INT Leaked US embassy cable: Japanese lawmaker pointed to cover-up of nuclear accidents (Raw Story)

[Justine McCabe]

FYI,


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott McLarty" <scottmclarty at yahoo.com>
To: <usgp-int at gp-us.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2011 1:08 PM
Subject: USGP-INT Leaked US embassy cable: Japanese lawmaker pointed 
tocover-up of nuclear accidents (Raw Story)


> (The text of the leaked US embassy cable is here: 
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/175295)
>
> Leaked cable: Japanese lawmaker pointed to cover-up of nuclear accidents
>
> By Stephen C. Webster
> The Raw Story, March 15, 2011
> http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/15/leaked-cable-japanese-lawmaker-pointed-to-cover-up-of-nuclear-accidents/
>
>
> As engineers and scientists struggle to control six Japanese nuclear 
> reactors, three of which are in near-meltdown status, the world watches 
> with horror.
>
> But even as efforts continue in earnest across Japan, the search for why 
> this is happening has already begun.
>
> At least one man might have some theories.
>
> His name is Taro Kono, a liberal Democrat and member of Japan's DIET, or 
> parliament. Kono's father was the president of the liberal Democrats. He's 
> been an outspoken critic of the country's nuclear program, and once 
> resigned a high-ranking post in the House of Representatives in protest of 
> the Iraq War.
>
> And according to a US diplomatic cable released Monday night by The 
> Guardian, he allegedly told American diplomats about coverups carried out 
> in Japan's nuclear plants.
>
> "Taro Kono, who studied and worked in the United States and speaks 
> excellent English, is a frequent embassy contact who has interests in 
> agriculture, nuclear, and foreign policy issues," the US embassy document 
> notes. "He is relatively young, and very outspoken, especially as a critic 
> of the government's nuclear policy. During this meeting, he voiced his 
> strong opposition to the nuclear industry in Japan, especially nuclear 
> fuel reprocessing, based on issues of cost, safety, and security. Kono 
> claimed Japanese electric companies are hiding the costs and safety 
> problems associated with nuclear energy, while successfully selling the 
> idea of reprocessing to the Japanese public as 'recycling uranium.'"
>
> It goes on to say that Kono accused Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, 
> and Industry (METI) of becoming obsessed with their old policies, such as 
> on food safety where radiation standards had not changed since shortly 
> after the Chernobyl incident in 1986. He also accused the METI of only 
> providing lip service to efforts for renewable energy, instead focusing 
> much of their resources on the development of nuclear power.
>
> He added that the country's major electric interests once torpedoed a 
> series of television interviews he was filming. The companies allegedly 
> threatened to pull their sponsorship when he began to speak frankly about 
> the dangers and drawbacks of nuclear energy.
>
> Japan has 54 nuclear reactors; 11 were taken offline following last week's 
> 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that swept across the norther portion of the 
> country.
>
> The cable goes on: "He also accused METI of covering up nuclear accidents, 
> and obscuring the true costs and problems associated with the nuclear 
> industry. He claimed MPs have a difficult time hearing the whole of the 
> U.S. message on nuclear energy because METI picks and chooses those 
> portions of the message that it likes. Only information in agreement with 
> METI policies is passed through to the MPs. Elaborating on his 
> frustrations with the ministries, Kono noted that the Diet committee 
> staffs are made up of professional bureaucrats, and are often headed by 
> detailees from the ministries."
>
> As the crisis has developed, the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco) has been 
> rocked by criticism for its management of the nuclear facilities. The 
> criticism has been so intense that Tepco CEO Masataka Shimizu called a 
> press conference to apologize in public on Tuesday.
>
> Even so, reporters did not appear to be taking his apology at face value. 
> Some journalists on the scene were quite visibly angry with the company's 
> response.
>
> The event led MSNBC host Rachel Maddow to read off a litany of scandals 
> and coverups at Japan's nuclear plants over the years, perpetrated by 
> Tepco with government help. She cautioned, meanwhile, that skepticism of 
> the official word on these reactors is appropriate.
>
>
>
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