Kyodo News is reporting that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney have agreed to “Bost the bilateral alliance and cooperate to resolve the issue of North Korea’s past abductions..”

Asides from intelligence, I’m not entirly certain what the Americans can do to help Japan on the abduction issue. My concern is that the United States is already talking to NorthK about the nuclear issue, that now coming at them with yet another topic is just going to piss them off.

Cheney’s visit to Tokyo comes at a time when some concerns have recently arisen between the two close allies over policies on North Korea and Iraq in an otherwise strong bilateral security alliance.

The United States is counting on close allies Japan and Australia to continue their cooperation in Iraq under the new strategy adopted just weeks ago by the administration of President George W. Bush despite criticism at home. But Japanese Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma recently irked Washington with comments critical of U.S. policy.

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