ANALYSIS: Japan, under pressure, puts abduction issue on back burner

Kyoto, Japan - Japan is stuck between a rock and a hard place as North Korea's denuclearization progress forces the country to tread a softer line resolving Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese nationals. Thursday's comprehensive declaration of nuclear programmes and stockpiles by North Korea drives a wedge between Japan and its most important ally, the United States, frustrating Tokyo's efforts to keep the pressure on the abduction issue. Some officials even hint at a US-Japanese rift, as Washington announced, despite wordy assurance of supporting Japan's position, to drop trade sanctions against North Korea and start the process of removing the country from a terrorism blacklist within the next 45 days. Washington is de-prioritizing the abduction issue for the sake of keeping nuclear weapons out of the hands of the world's most dangerous rogue states, seemingly even ready to ignore shortcomings in the declaration, critics in Japan said. Eager to achieve a main foreign policy victory before the term of President George W Bush ends, the US was rushing into a deal, ignoring the dangers of such an approach, Japanese newspapers said. To all accounts, Japan should welcome Pyongyang coming clear on its nuclear programme, a critical cornerstone in international efforts to discourage the communist state's nuclear weapons ambitions. When North Korea in 1998 fired a missile over Japan, the event sent shockwaves though the country, driving home the danger of a nuclear-armed North Korea. In October 2007, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il announced the successful test of a nuclear device. Nonetheless, the abduction issue weighs heavy on the Japanese mind. Japan says 17 citizens were abducted in the 1970s and 80s and forced to help train North Korean spies in the Japanese language and culture. North Korea admitted in 2002 to abducting 13 Japanese, confirming long-standing suspicions. Five of the abductees returned to Japan in October 2002, but the whereabouts of the rest are not known. North Korea said in 2002 that eight had died while two never entered the country. Two others have been added to the list of victims since then. The abduction issue has to be resolved before normalizing ties with North Korea was possible, Japan insists, drawing only thinly-veiled criticism from its partners in the six-party talks - China, the US, South Korea and Russia - of endangering negotiations by its failure to compromise. Japanese officials are refraining from openly criticising Washington, saying North Korea's eventual de-nuclearization remains the main goal, fully aware that the US is the only ally Japan can turn to in the abduction issue. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda stressed publicly that North Korea's de-listing would have no negative effects on the abduction question. After years of refusing to discuss the issue, Pyongyang agreed on June 13 to 'reinvestigate' the abductions, in exchange for Japan easing trade sanctions. Nonetheless, Japan remains adamant, despite six-party pressure, not to provide energy assistance to North Korea, well aware that now, with the terrorism-card gone, economic incentives are the only bargaining chip it has left.