U.S. asks Japan not to schedule Cheney-Kyuma meeting after remarks on Iraq war

[Kadie]

U.S. asks Japan not to schedule Cheney-Kyuma meeting after remarks on Iraq war
Monday, February 12, 2007 at 07:15 EST

TOKYO — The United States has asked Japan not to schedule a meeting between U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and Japanese Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma during Cheney's visit to Japan from Feb 20, conveying strong displeasure with Kyuma's recent controversial remarks, sources close to the matter said Sunday.

The request underlined that the two nations have yet to fully put behind Kyuma's critical remarks over the Iraq war and the realignment of U.S. forces although they appeared to have settled the case with Washington's recent protest lodged with Tokyo through diplomatic channels.

Cheney is scheduled to meet top officers of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, and if the meeting with Kyuma is actually not set, it will turn out to be an unusual case of a foreign leader meeting with SDF officers but shunning talks with the chief of the Defense Ministry.

Kyuma angered Washington by saying Jan 24 that U.S. President George W Bush's decision to start the war on Iraq was "wrong." Three days later, Kyuma said the United States lacks understanding over talks with Okinawa Prefecture over relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Futemma Air Station within the prefecture.

more...
http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/398824

[whistle]

1. I guess Cheney wants to start another U.S./Sino war