US embassy cable - 91TOKYO3087

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 03087 
 
 
E.O.12356:  DECL:OADR 
TAGS:  MARR, PTER, JA 
SUBJECT:  FEB 23 TERRORIST INCIDENTS IN JAPAN 
 
1.  CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
2.  EMBASSY IS AWARE OF AT LEAST THREE TERRORIST 
INCIDENTS WHICH HAVE OCCURRED IN THE GREATER TOKYO 
AREA MORNING OF FEBRUARY 23.  ONE INCIDENT WAS 
DIRECTED AGAINST A U.S. NAVY HOUSING FACILITY IN 
YOKOHAMA. 
 
3.  COMNAVFORJAPAN NOTIFIED EMBASSY THAT AT 
APPROXIMATELY 0615 FEBRUARY 23 THERE WAS A MAKESHIFT 
MORTAR ATTACK DIRECTED AT THE U.S. NAVY NEGISHI 
HOUSING COMPOUND IN YOKOHAMA.  THERE WERE NO INJURIES 
REPORTED.  INITIAL REPORTS INDICATED THREE PROJECTILES 
IMPACTED INSIDE THE FACILITY.  THE NAVY IS REPORTING 
FURTHER DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT IN SEPARATE CHANNELS. 
 
4.  THE OTHER TWO INCIDENTS OF WHICH WE ARE AWARE 
OCCURED AT THE JAPAN AIR SELF DEFENSE FORCE BASE AT 
FUCHU AND AT NARITA AIRPORT.  INFORMATION IS SKETCHY 
IN BOTH INCIDENTS, THOUGH THE NARITA INCIDENT ALSO 
APPARENTLY INVOLVED A PROJECTILE WHICH IMPACTED ON THE 
TARMAC.  THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR 
INJURY IN EITHER INCIDENT. 
 
5.  COMMENT:  MOTIVE AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE 
ATTACKS REMAINS UNCLEAR, ALTHOUGH THE INCIDENTS ARE 
SIMILAR TO PAST ATTACKS BY ULTRA-LEFT RADICALS, 
PARTICULARLY CHUKAKUHA..  WHILE A CONNECTION WITH THE 
GULF WAR CANNOT BE RULED OUT, IT IS MORE LIKELY THE 
ATTACKS WERE TIMED TO COINCIDE WITH THE FEBRUARY 23 
INVESTITURE OF THE CROWN PRINCE AS THE SUCCESSOR TO 
THE THRONE.  END COMMENT. 
 
ARMACOST