thr 025                                                               


Iran-Japan-Terrorism /POL/                                            


   Japan to send special envoy to Tehran on terrorism next week      


Tokyo, Sept 28, IRNA -- Japan will send former foreign minister       


Masahiko Komura as the special envoy of Prime Minister Jonichiro      


Koizumi to Tehran next Tuesday to seek Iran's backing in an           


international campaign against terrorism, the top government spokesman


Yasuo Fukuda said in a news conference on Friday.                     


    He will convey Koizumi's message for Iranian President Mohammad   


Khatami during a six-day Middle Eastern trip, starting next Sunday,   


which will also take him to Saudi Arabia, Fukuda said, adding Komura  


would carry a similar message for Saudi King Fahd.                    


    Meanwhile, Koizumi after a meeting with Komura, told reporters    


that he thought there existed suitable grounds for cooperation in the 


campaign against terrorism under the United Nations' auspices.        


    Japan's Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka told another news          


conference that former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto would travel  


to Egypt on a similar mission.                                        


    The Kyodo news agency said that Hashimoto's trip will take place  


early October.                                                        


    The shuttle travels take place as the United States is bracing    


for military operations against militant Saudi-born fugitive Osama    


bin Laden, as believed to be hiding in Afghanistan, and his network of


terrorist groups which America suspects of being behind the           


devastating September 11 attacks on its trade and defense centers.    


    The U.S. severed its ties with Tehran following the 1979 Islamic  


Revolution, but Tokyo has sound relations with the Islamic Republic.  


    Tanaka, in a meeting with Iranian ambassador to Tokyo Ali         


Majedi on Wedensday, hailed Tehran's condemnation of terror attacks on


the New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon, saying the        


stance has left positive effects on the world public opinion.         


    Saudi Arabia and Egypt, where fundamentalist organizations are    


active, may experience upheavals following U.S. retaliatory action.   


    Riyadh has cut its ties with Afghanistan's Taliban regime         


and pledged full support for Washington, but the kingdom is reportedly


reluctant to allow an air force base in the suburbs of its capital to 


be used in the U.S. revenge attacks.                                  


    Koizumi sent letters to the leaders of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran  


and Qatar last week, calling on them to join efforts to combat        


terrorism.                                                            


BH/AK                                                                 


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::irna    13:16