Relocation of US troops to NMI not done deal
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
By Haidee V. Eugenio
Reporter
Kitazawa Japan's Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa on Friday downplayed the idea of relocating up to 4,000 U.S. troops from the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa to Tinian, even as Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and the CNMI Military Integration Management Committee said yesterday that the Commonwealth welcomes such relocation consideration “only if such plan is supported and approved by the U.S. federal government and the Department of Defense.”
Tinian is one of the major islands in the U.S. territory of the CNMI.
“We are by no means trying to entice the Japanese government to push for the relocation of a base in the CNMI as this is solely a decision that will be made by the U.S. government. The administration and the MIMC will respect and support any such decisions that are made,” the Fitial administration said in a statement when asked for comment on the Futenma relocation issue.
Press Secretary Angel Demapan said Fitial and the MIMC will be open to any dialogue that the U.S. Department of Defense may want to engage in.
“However, any such dialogue would have to be at the request of the federal government,” he said.
International media quoted Japan's Kitazawa as saying that Futenma's relocation to the CNMI could be considered as a “long-term issue.”
He said, however, the views of the U.S. military on the relocation issue are important and that discussions are expected to take place on whether the necessary deterrence can be maintained in the Asia-Pacific region if all the Marine functions in Okinawa are transferred to Tinian.
Two-thirds of Tinian's land is leased to the U.S. military.
Three Japanese lawmakers who visited Saipan briefly on Feb. 10 told CNMI officials that they are considering the CNMI as one of relocation sites for 2,000 to 4,000 U.S. troops at Futenma.
In interviews with international media, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, who leads a government task force on the matter, also expressed little enthusiasm for the idea of relocating Futenma to Tinian. He said the task force has never discussed it before.
Japan had said it will reach a final conclusion by the end of May on where it wants to see the Futenma facility relocated, and a government committee has been exploring possible candidate sites, while Washington, D.C. maintains that a plan agreed upon by Japan and the United States in 2006 to move the Futenma base to a less densely populated part of Okinawa is the best option.
The three Japanese lawmakers who visited Saipan last week-Mikio Shimoji, Tomoko Abe, and Ryoichi Hattori-met with Fitial, Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos, House Speaker Froilan C. Tenorio (Cov-Saipan), and Senate President Paul A. Manglona (R-Saipan).
The three lawmakers were part of a 23-member Japanese government delegation who arrived in Guam for a “fact-finding” visit, particularly to see if there's suitable place on Guam for more U.S. troops to be relocated off Okinawa.
The up to 4,000 considered to be relocated to Tinian is in addition to the estimated 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents who are expected to be relocated by 2014, although Guam Gov. Felix P. Camacho asked for the military buildup to be delayed until after 2014.
Fitial and other CNMI officials last week said they welcome the relocation of U.S. troops to the Commonwealth provided the U.S. government consents to such move. This statement was repeated yesterday by the administration and the MIMC.
Showing posts with label Asia-Pacific. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Asia-Pacific. Show all posts
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Kitazawa: Relocation to Guam "unlikely"
Kitazawa: Relocation to Guam "unlikely"
2010/02/15 16:13(JST)
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa has indicated that it is unlikely that all the functions of the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa will be relocated to Guam.
Speaking at the Lower House budget committee on Monday, Kitazawa said the geological advantages that Okinawa possesses in terms of national defense, as well as the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region, cannot be overlooked.
He said the presence of the US Marines in Okinawa is of great significance.
2010/02/15 16:13(JST)
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa has indicated that it is unlikely that all the functions of the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa will be relocated to Guam.
Speaking at the Lower House budget committee on Monday, Kitazawa said the geological advantages that Okinawa possesses in terms of national defense, as well as the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region, cannot be overlooked.
He said the presence of the US Marines in Okinawa is of great significance.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
PNC :: U.S. Senator Jim Webb To Visit Guam
PNC :: U.S. Senator Jim Webb To Visit Guam
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Guam - U.S. Senator Jim Webb is planing a visit to Guam next week.
The Virginia Democrat will be stopping in Tokyo and Okinawa as well.
Webb chairs the Senate Committee on Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee and the Committee on Foreign Relations East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee.
A statement from Webb's office says the Senator will be seeking "solutions in an increasingly rancorous debate over a US military base on the southern island of Okinawa."
And he will "listen carefully to the views of the current Japanese government, the leaders and citizens of Okinawa and Guam and US military leaders and personnel stationed in the Pacific region." .
Webb leaves DC for Japan this Saturday.
This will be Webb's first trip to Japan since Prime Minister Hatoyama took office last summer.
Written by : Kevin Kerrigan
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Guam - U.S. Senator Jim Webb is planing a visit to Guam next week.
The Virginia Democrat will be stopping in Tokyo and Okinawa as well.
Webb chairs the Senate Committee on Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee and the Committee on Foreign Relations East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee.
A statement from Webb's office says the Senator will be seeking "solutions in an increasingly rancorous debate over a US military base on the southern island of Okinawa."
And he will "listen carefully to the views of the current Japanese government, the leaders and citizens of Okinawa and Guam and US military leaders and personnel stationed in the Pacific region." .
Webb leaves DC for Japan this Saturday.
This will be Webb's first trip to Japan since Prime Minister Hatoyama took office last summer.
Written by : Kevin Kerrigan
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Official: U.S. willing to compromise on Futenma
Official: U.S. willing to compromise on Futenma
By Teri Weaver and Chiyomi Sumida, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, February 3, 2010
DOD will renegotiate current plan if Tokyo offers alternate recommendation
TOKYO — If Japan’s recommendations about moving a Marine air base on Okinawa do not match current plans, the United States will work with Japan to find another solution, according a top Pentagon official.
“If we have to go back to negotiating, we will go back to negotiating,” Wallace Gregson, assistant secretary of Defense for Asia and the Pacific, said Monday in response to a question about the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on Okinawa.
“The solution is not an American-imposed one,” he said. “It’s a cooperative U.S. and Japanese solution.”
Sunday on Okinawa, Gregson also stressed he believes the current plan is “the most balanced plan which satisfies the needs of both governments.”
The remarks were the latest in a series of public talks in Japan by U.S. officials in recent days about the Futenma move, part of a long-term, multi-part plan to reposition U.S. and Japanese troops throughout the country.
Those realignment and security agreements — made nearly four years ago — have come under renewed scrutiny after Japan ousted its conservative ruling party last fall and installed a more liberal government for the first time in nearly five decades. Some in the new government were elected because they criticized the Futenma move, which would move the helicopter base to a more rural part of the island.
Shortly after the election, U.S. officials decried the need for a review of existing agreements. More recently, U.S. leaders have struck a more conciliatory tone in public, saying they need to do a better job explaining the Marines’ role on Okinawa and the reasons they need an air base on Okinawa.
“We certainly understand the need for the new government to reexamine” the previously approved move, Gregson said Monday afternoon before members of the Japan Institute of International Affairs, a research group affiliated with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Yet he also stressed that U.S. officials expect to resolve the issue with the Japanese, rather than issue a set of demands.
Gregson is a retired three-star Marine Corps general who once commanded Marines on Okinawa and later throughout the U.S. Pacific Command. On Sunday he visited Okinawa, which hosts about half of the nearly 50,000 troops in Japan and provides about 75 percent of the land used by the U.S. military overall.
The Futenma relocation plan would benefit Okinawans by closing most of the U.S. bases south of Kadena Air Base, Gregson said during a news conference with local media on the island.
He said he understands some people in the U.S. might be upset with Japan’s review of the plan, but he called for patience.
“The United States will wait for May, when Prime Minister (Yukio) Hatoyama makes a final decision,” he said. “The realignment of U.S. forces Japan is the most complicated issue in the 50 years of alliance.”
Reporters Hana Kusumoto and David Allen contributed to this report.
By Teri Weaver and Chiyomi Sumida, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, February 3, 2010
DOD will renegotiate current plan if Tokyo offers alternate recommendation
TOKYO — If Japan’s recommendations about moving a Marine air base on Okinawa do not match current plans, the United States will work with Japan to find another solution, according a top Pentagon official.
“If we have to go back to negotiating, we will go back to negotiating,” Wallace Gregson, assistant secretary of Defense for Asia and the Pacific, said Monday in response to a question about the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on Okinawa.
“The solution is not an American-imposed one,” he said. “It’s a cooperative U.S. and Japanese solution.”
Sunday on Okinawa, Gregson also stressed he believes the current plan is “the most balanced plan which satisfies the needs of both governments.”
The remarks were the latest in a series of public talks in Japan by U.S. officials in recent days about the Futenma move, part of a long-term, multi-part plan to reposition U.S. and Japanese troops throughout the country.
Those realignment and security agreements — made nearly four years ago — have come under renewed scrutiny after Japan ousted its conservative ruling party last fall and installed a more liberal government for the first time in nearly five decades. Some in the new government were elected because they criticized the Futenma move, which would move the helicopter base to a more rural part of the island.
Shortly after the election, U.S. officials decried the need for a review of existing agreements. More recently, U.S. leaders have struck a more conciliatory tone in public, saying they need to do a better job explaining the Marines’ role on Okinawa and the reasons they need an air base on Okinawa.
“We certainly understand the need for the new government to reexamine” the previously approved move, Gregson said Monday afternoon before members of the Japan Institute of International Affairs, a research group affiliated with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Yet he also stressed that U.S. officials expect to resolve the issue with the Japanese, rather than issue a set of demands.
Gregson is a retired three-star Marine Corps general who once commanded Marines on Okinawa and later throughout the U.S. Pacific Command. On Sunday he visited Okinawa, which hosts about half of the nearly 50,000 troops in Japan and provides about 75 percent of the land used by the U.S. military overall.
The Futenma relocation plan would benefit Okinawans by closing most of the U.S. bases south of Kadena Air Base, Gregson said during a news conference with local media on the island.
He said he understands some people in the U.S. might be upset with Japan’s review of the plan, but he called for patience.
“The United States will wait for May, when Prime Minister (Yukio) Hatoyama makes a final decision,” he said. “The realignment of U.S. forces Japan is the most complicated issue in the 50 years of alliance.”
Reporters Hana Kusumoto and David Allen contributed to this report.
Report: DoD transforming Guam into security hub
Report: DoD transforming Guam into security hub
Posted: Feb 02, 2010 6:49 PM
Updated: Feb 02, 2010 6:53 PM
by Heather Hauswirth
*DoD: Quadrennial Defense Review
http://www.defense.gov/QDR/
Guam - The U.S. Department of Defense released the Quadrennial Defense Review today - a 105-page report that details the military's current and future threats. The report focuses on the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the challenges the U.S. faces in its efforts to dismantle Al Qaeda and the Taliban by supporting Iraqi forces and supporting the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan to dismantle terrorist networks worldwide.
In addition, the report highlights the United States' commitment to working with allies around the world and monitoring the global proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which the report says "undermine global security."
The report emphasizes the complexities of the current security landscape, the importance of energy security in the 21st Century, the need for strengthening U.S. capabilities in cyberspace and the Defense Department's plans to turn Guam into a "hub for security activities" in the Asia-Pacific Region, noting the rise of China and India as global players to be cognizant of.
The report states, "With Japan, we will continue to implement the Bilateral Realignment Roadmap Agreement that will ensure a long-term presence of U.S. forces in Japan and transform Guam, the westernmost sovereign territory of the United States, into a hub for security activities in the region".
Posted: Feb 02, 2010 6:49 PM
Updated: Feb 02, 2010 6:53 PM
by Heather Hauswirth
*DoD: Quadrennial Defense Review
http://www.defense.gov/QDR/
Guam - The U.S. Department of Defense released the Quadrennial Defense Review today - a 105-page report that details the military's current and future threats. The report focuses on the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the challenges the U.S. faces in its efforts to dismantle Al Qaeda and the Taliban by supporting Iraqi forces and supporting the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan to dismantle terrorist networks worldwide.
In addition, the report highlights the United States' commitment to working with allies around the world and monitoring the global proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which the report says "undermine global security."
The report emphasizes the complexities of the current security landscape, the importance of energy security in the 21st Century, the need for strengthening U.S. capabilities in cyberspace and the Defense Department's plans to turn Guam into a "hub for security activities" in the Asia-Pacific Region, noting the rise of China and India as global players to be cognizant of.
The report states, "With Japan, we will continue to implement the Bilateral Realignment Roadmap Agreement that will ensure a long-term presence of U.S. forces in Japan and transform Guam, the westernmost sovereign territory of the United States, into a hub for security activities in the region".
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Principles of U.S. Engagement in the Asia-Pacific
Principles of U.S. Engagement in the Asia-Pacific
Kurt M. Campbell
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
Before the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Washington, DC
January 21, 2010
Excerpt:
U.S. Principles for Engagement in the Asia-Pacific Region – The Asia-Pacific region is of vital and permanent importance to the United States and it is clear that countries in the region want the United States to maintain a strong and active presence. We need to ensure that the United States is a resident power and not just a visitor, because what happens in the region has a direct effect on our security and economic well-being. Over the course of the next few decades climate change, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and widespread poverty will pose the most significant challenges to the United States and the rest of the region. These challenges are and will continue to be most acute in East Asia. This situation not only suggests a need for the United States to play a leading role in addressing these challenges, but it also indicates a need to strengthen and broaden alliances, build new partnerships, and enhance capacity of multilateral organizations in the region. Fundamental to this approach will be continued encouragement of China’s peaceful rise and integration into the international system. A forward-looking strategy that builds on these relationships and U.S. strengths as a democracy and a Pacific power is essential to manage both regional and increasingly global challenges.
With the positive outcomes of renewed engagement as a backdrop, I would like to discuss a series of principles that will guide our efforts moving forward. Intrinsic to our engagement strategy is an unwavering commitment to American values that have undergirded our foreign policy since the inception of our Republic. In many ways, it is precisely because of the emergence of a more complex and multi-polar world that values can and should serve as a tool of American statecraft. Five principles guide the Obama administration’s engagement in East Asia and the Pacific. In her January 12speech in Honolulu, Secretary Clinton detailed the five principles for how we view the Asia-Pacific architecture and U.S. involvement evolving. These include the foundation of the U.S. alliance system and bilateral partnerships, building a common regional economic and security agenda, the importance of result-oriented cooperation, the need to enhance the flexibility and creativity of our multilateral cooperation, and the principle that the Asia-Pacific’s defining institutions will include all the key stakeholders such as the United States.
For the last half century, the United States and its allies in the region – Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, the Philippines, and Thailand – have maintained security and stability in East Asia and the Pacific. Our alliances remain the bedrock of our engagement in the region, and the Obama Administration is committed to strengthening those alliances to address both continuing and emerging challenges. The United States, therefore, must maintain a forward-deployed military presence in the region that both reassures friends and reminds others that the United States will remain the ultimate guarantor of regional peace and stability. There should be no mistake: the United States is firm in its resolve to uphold its treaty commitments regarding the defense of its allies.
Our alliance with Japan is a cornerstone of our strategic engagement in Asia. The May 2006 agreement on defense transformation and realignment will enhance deterrence while creating a more sustainable military presence in the region. The Guam International Agreement, signed by Secretary Clinton during her February 2009 trip, carries this transformation to the next stage. As part of our ongoing efforts to assist the Government of Japan with its review of the Futenma Replacement Facility (FRF) Agreement, a high-level working group met in Tokyo in November and December, and the Government of Japan is continuing its review. In addition to our focus on these issues, we are working to create a more durable and forward-looking vision for the alliance that seizes upon Japan’s global leadership role on climate change and humanitarian and development assistance programs, to name a few. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the alliance, we will work closely with our friends in Japan to think creatively and strategically about the alliance.
Kurt M. Campbell
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
Before the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Washington, DC
January 21, 2010
Excerpt:
U.S. Principles for Engagement in the Asia-Pacific Region – The Asia-Pacific region is of vital and permanent importance to the United States and it is clear that countries in the region want the United States to maintain a strong and active presence. We need to ensure that the United States is a resident power and not just a visitor, because what happens in the region has a direct effect on our security and economic well-being. Over the course of the next few decades climate change, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and widespread poverty will pose the most significant challenges to the United States and the rest of the region. These challenges are and will continue to be most acute in East Asia. This situation not only suggests a need for the United States to play a leading role in addressing these challenges, but it also indicates a need to strengthen and broaden alliances, build new partnerships, and enhance capacity of multilateral organizations in the region. Fundamental to this approach will be continued encouragement of China’s peaceful rise and integration into the international system. A forward-looking strategy that builds on these relationships and U.S. strengths as a democracy and a Pacific power is essential to manage both regional and increasingly global challenges.
With the positive outcomes of renewed engagement as a backdrop, I would like to discuss a series of principles that will guide our efforts moving forward. Intrinsic to our engagement strategy is an unwavering commitment to American values that have undergirded our foreign policy since the inception of our Republic. In many ways, it is precisely because of the emergence of a more complex and multi-polar world that values can and should serve as a tool of American statecraft. Five principles guide the Obama administration’s engagement in East Asia and the Pacific. In her January 12speech in Honolulu, Secretary Clinton detailed the five principles for how we view the Asia-Pacific architecture and U.S. involvement evolving. These include the foundation of the U.S. alliance system and bilateral partnerships, building a common regional economic and security agenda, the importance of result-oriented cooperation, the need to enhance the flexibility and creativity of our multilateral cooperation, and the principle that the Asia-Pacific’s defining institutions will include all the key stakeholders such as the United States.
For the last half century, the United States and its allies in the region – Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, the Philippines, and Thailand – have maintained security and stability in East Asia and the Pacific. Our alliances remain the bedrock of our engagement in the region, and the Obama Administration is committed to strengthening those alliances to address both continuing and emerging challenges. The United States, therefore, must maintain a forward-deployed military presence in the region that both reassures friends and reminds others that the United States will remain the ultimate guarantor of regional peace and stability. There should be no mistake: the United States is firm in its resolve to uphold its treaty commitments regarding the defense of its allies.
Our alliance with Japan is a cornerstone of our strategic engagement in Asia. The May 2006 agreement on defense transformation and realignment will enhance deterrence while creating a more sustainable military presence in the region. The Guam International Agreement, signed by Secretary Clinton during her February 2009 trip, carries this transformation to the next stage. As part of our ongoing efforts to assist the Government of Japan with its review of the Futenma Replacement Facility (FRF) Agreement, a high-level working group met in Tokyo in November and December, and the Government of Japan is continuing its review. In addition to our focus on these issues, we are working to create a more durable and forward-looking vision for the alliance that seizes upon Japan’s global leadership role on climate change and humanitarian and development assistance programs, to name a few. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the alliance, we will work closely with our friends in Japan to think creatively and strategically about the alliance.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Close US Military Bases in Japan and Okinawa
Close US Military Bases in Japan and Okinawa
Kyle Kajihiro, American Friends Service Committee andDMZ Hawaii/ Aloha ‘Aina
http://www.dmzhawaii.org/
808-542-3668, (KKajihiro@afsc.org)
Ann Wright, Gaza Freedom March, www.gazafreedommarch.org
808-741-1141, (microann@yahoo.com)
HAWAII - January 12 -
WHEN: 1 PM, Tuesday, January 12, 2010
WHERE: In front of the Imin Center, East West Center, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will make a major foreign policy address on the U.S. vision for Asia-Pacific multilateral engagement on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010 at 2pm, at the East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.
During her visit to Hawaii, she will meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada to discuss the fate of the U.S. Marine Corps airfield at Futenma in Okinawa. The U.S. and Japan agreed in 2006 to move Futenma to another part of Okinawa. However, Okinawa residents oppose the move and want the airfield to be shut down. The U.S. military is planning on moving 8,000 U.S. Marines and 34,000 Marine families and contractors to Guam increasing the population of the island by 25%.
Members of American Friends Service Committee, DMZ Hawaii and other grassroots organizations will rally at 1pm in front of the Inman Center of the East West Center in support of demilitarizing Japan and Okinawa and not moving U.S. Marines to the Pacific Island of Guam.
AFSC coordinator Kyle Kajihiro said, "The U.S. is relying on Japan building an additional airbase in a pristine area of Okinawa and transferring some Marines from Okinawa to Guam. The U.S. is also depending on Japan to kick in $6 billion to help fund the buildup on Guam. However, Japan doesn't want to build another base and it has been questioning the exorbitant expenses of the buildup, such as $775,000 per housing unit. We support efforts of citizens of Okinawa to remove US bases and of citizens of Guam to not move US Marines to Guam."
Ann Wright, retired US Army Reserve Colonel and former U.S. diplomat, who just returned from ten days in Egypt with the Gaza Freedom March, said that Clinton's presence in Hawaii "is an opportunity for citizens to raise their voices on international policies with which they disagree. I can not be silent as the United States continues to blindly support Israeli aggression on Gaza and refuses to take strong measures against Israeli theft of Palestinian land in illegal settlements."
Kyle Kajihiro, American Friends Service Committee andDMZ Hawaii/ Aloha ‘Aina
http://www.dmzhawaii.org/
808-542-3668, (KKajihiro@afsc.org)
Ann Wright, Gaza Freedom March, www.gazafreedommarch.org
808-741-1141, (microann@yahoo.com)
HAWAII - January 12 -
WHEN: 1 PM, Tuesday, January 12, 2010
WHERE: In front of the Imin Center, East West Center, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will make a major foreign policy address on the U.S. vision for Asia-Pacific multilateral engagement on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010 at 2pm, at the East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.
During her visit to Hawaii, she will meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada to discuss the fate of the U.S. Marine Corps airfield at Futenma in Okinawa. The U.S. and Japan agreed in 2006 to move Futenma to another part of Okinawa. However, Okinawa residents oppose the move and want the airfield to be shut down. The U.S. military is planning on moving 8,000 U.S. Marines and 34,000 Marine families and contractors to Guam increasing the population of the island by 25%.
Members of American Friends Service Committee, DMZ Hawaii and other grassroots organizations will rally at 1pm in front of the Inman Center of the East West Center in support of demilitarizing Japan and Okinawa and not moving U.S. Marines to the Pacific Island of Guam.
AFSC coordinator Kyle Kajihiro said, "The U.S. is relying on Japan building an additional airbase in a pristine area of Okinawa and transferring some Marines from Okinawa to Guam. The U.S. is also depending on Japan to kick in $6 billion to help fund the buildup on Guam. However, Japan doesn't want to build another base and it has been questioning the exorbitant expenses of the buildup, such as $775,000 per housing unit. We support efforts of citizens of Okinawa to remove US bases and of citizens of Guam to not move US Marines to Guam."
Ann Wright, retired US Army Reserve Colonel and former U.S. diplomat, who just returned from ten days in Egypt with the Gaza Freedom March, said that Clinton's presence in Hawaii "is an opportunity for citizens to raise their voices on international policies with which they disagree. I can not be silent as the United States continues to blindly support Israeli aggression on Gaza and refuses to take strong measures against Israeli theft of Palestinian land in illegal settlements."
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Obama has to address US’ future on Asia trip
Obama has to address US’ future on Asia trip
By Richard Halloran
Tuesday, Nov 10, 2009, Page 8
US President Barack Obama is to begin his first trip to Asia as president this week, striding along a trail blazed by his straight-talking secretary of defense, Robert Gates.
Stripped of diplomatic lingo, Gates has recently insisted that the Japanese proceed with a realignment of US forces as agreed after 15 years of negotiation. He has insisted that China stop disrupting military exchanges whenever the US takes a position that displeases Beijing, and he has insisted that South Koreans not delay accepting full responsibility for the defense of their own nation.
Undoubtedly, Asian leaders will be watching to see whether Obama will be equally firm as he travels to Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul, with a stop in Singapore to attend the APEC forum and to meet Southeast Asian leaders.
A senior member of the US National Security Council staff, Jeffrey Bader, said on Friday Obama’s message would be that “the US is here to stay in Asia.” Bader also said the US president would “speak very directly” to Chinese leaders on human rights and other issues with “toughness and adaptability.”
The dilemma he faces in Japan concerns the execution of a plan to move the Futenma air base in Okinawa out of Ginowan City to a less constricted area; to transfer 17,000 Marines, civilians and dependents from Okinawa to Guam; and to return to Okinawans land used by US forces. The new government in Tokyo, led by Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, wants to reopen the issue.
“Our view is clear. The Futenma relocation facility is the lynchpin of the realignment road map. Without the Futenma realignment ... there will be no relocation to Guam. And without relocation to Guam, there will be no consolidation of forces and the return of land in Okinawa,” Gates said in Tokyo.
Among the critical issues with China are exchanges in which Chinese and US officers visit each other’s forces and discuss military concerns. When General Xu Caihou (徐才厚), who is among the most senior officers of the People’s Liberation Army, was in Washington recently, Gates emphasized that military relations were key to the overall China-US relationship.
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Gates told Xu “there is a need to break the on-again, off-again cycle of our military-to-military relationship.” Often, Morrell said, China suspends exchanges to show its displeasure with Washington, the most recent having been an interruption after the US announced arms sales to Taiwan in October last year.
In response, the official Chinese press reported that Xu demanded that the US stop arms sales to Taiwan, keep US military aircraft and ships out of China’s exclusive economic zone and overcome a “lack of strategic trust” with China. He also said China had “no room to make concessions” on core issues such as sovereignty over Taiwan.
In South Korea, the question is Seoul’s assumption of responsibility for national defense, which is now shared with the US. The US and South Korea have agreed that will take place in 2012 but, Seoul officials said, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and defense officials want to delay that shift for several years, asserting that South Korea is not ready.
Gates, in South Korea recently, sought to head off delays, asserting the country’s armed forces are “well positioned to take the lead in the combined defense of this country.” Gates quoted Lee as saying that South Korean forces must “adapt and transform to new environments and new types of threats” and to “carry out roles commensurate with its growing stature as a global Korea.”
As he begins his Asian venture in Tokyo, Obama’s agenda calls for a policy address in which he lays out his vision for the US’ future in Asia.
By Richard Halloran
Tuesday, Nov 10, 2009, Page 8
US President Barack Obama is to begin his first trip to Asia as president this week, striding along a trail blazed by his straight-talking secretary of defense, Robert Gates.
Stripped of diplomatic lingo, Gates has recently insisted that the Japanese proceed with a realignment of US forces as agreed after 15 years of negotiation. He has insisted that China stop disrupting military exchanges whenever the US takes a position that displeases Beijing, and he has insisted that South Koreans not delay accepting full responsibility for the defense of their own nation.
Undoubtedly, Asian leaders will be watching to see whether Obama will be equally firm as he travels to Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul, with a stop in Singapore to attend the APEC forum and to meet Southeast Asian leaders.
A senior member of the US National Security Council staff, Jeffrey Bader, said on Friday Obama’s message would be that “the US is here to stay in Asia.” Bader also said the US president would “speak very directly” to Chinese leaders on human rights and other issues with “toughness and adaptability.”
The dilemma he faces in Japan concerns the execution of a plan to move the Futenma air base in Okinawa out of Ginowan City to a less constricted area; to transfer 17,000 Marines, civilians and dependents from Okinawa to Guam; and to return to Okinawans land used by US forces. The new government in Tokyo, led by Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, wants to reopen the issue.
“Our view is clear. The Futenma relocation facility is the lynchpin of the realignment road map. Without the Futenma realignment ... there will be no relocation to Guam. And without relocation to Guam, there will be no consolidation of forces and the return of land in Okinawa,” Gates said in Tokyo.
Among the critical issues with China are exchanges in which Chinese and US officers visit each other’s forces and discuss military concerns. When General Xu Caihou (徐才厚), who is among the most senior officers of the People’s Liberation Army, was in Washington recently, Gates emphasized that military relations were key to the overall China-US relationship.
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Gates told Xu “there is a need to break the on-again, off-again cycle of our military-to-military relationship.” Often, Morrell said, China suspends exchanges to show its displeasure with Washington, the most recent having been an interruption after the US announced arms sales to Taiwan in October last year.
In response, the official Chinese press reported that Xu demanded that the US stop arms sales to Taiwan, keep US military aircraft and ships out of China’s exclusive economic zone and overcome a “lack of strategic trust” with China. He also said China had “no room to make concessions” on core issues such as sovereignty over Taiwan.
In South Korea, the question is Seoul’s assumption of responsibility for national defense, which is now shared with the US. The US and South Korea have agreed that will take place in 2012 but, Seoul officials said, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and defense officials want to delay that shift for several years, asserting that South Korea is not ready.
Gates, in South Korea recently, sought to head off delays, asserting the country’s armed forces are “well positioned to take the lead in the combined defense of this country.” Gates quoted Lee as saying that South Korean forces must “adapt and transform to new environments and new types of threats” and to “carry out roles commensurate with its growing stature as a global Korea.”
As he begins his Asian venture in Tokyo, Obama’s agenda calls for a policy address in which he lays out his vision for the US’ future in Asia.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Anti-Bases Coalition Mulled
Anti-bases coalition mulled
Tuesday, 22 September 2009 00:00
By Zita Taitano
Marianas Variety News Staff
HAGÅTÑA — The 7th Meeting of the International Network of Women Against Militarism has concluded with a plan to form a regional coalition that will actively oppose the “militarization” of Micronesia.
Therese Terlaje, one of the resource speakers at the conference which ended Friday, said participants will gather all information and draft a solidarity statement explaining their position that the presence of the military is not conducive to the region.
Terlaje said the soon-to-be-formed coalition, which will be spearheaded by women activists from the Philippines, will include members from Guam, the CNMI, Palau, Japan, and Australia.
During Friday’s session, panelists and participants expressed concern about the Department of Navy’s memo that bans sex offenders from living within the military bases.
Terlaje said the issue was first brought up during a public education forum in 2008 by military planners. “They said we will no allow sexual offenders on the base even if they come from the military (or) as military dependents,” she said.
“They are not allowed to live on the base and that is how they pretty much left the problem and that means we have to figure out that if they’re outside the base obviously, that’s our problem. That’s all we know so far,” Terlaje said.
Also discussed last Friday was “human trafficking and prostitution.”
Annie Fukushima of the University of California at Berkeley told the stories of women promised a better life only to be tricked into becoming sex slaves.
Among them was a woman who claimed that a man she met told her she could come to the U.S. where she would be able to find work. The woman would end up in Hawaii and then a few months later on the U.S. mainland as a sex slave.
Sue Gilbey of Adelaide Australia touched on legal brothels in Australia, where sex workers are even unionized. Despite the legality of the flesh business, yet there have been reports of illegal human trafficking in Australia.
“One thing about these though is it provides a front like trafficking and it’s making it more difficult to identify [victims],” Gilbey said, noting that the organized crime is prevalent in South East Asia, eastern Europe Korea and India.
Tuesday, 22 September 2009 00:00
By Zita Taitano
Marianas Variety News Staff
HAGÅTÑA — The 7th Meeting of the International Network of Women Against Militarism has concluded with a plan to form a regional coalition that will actively oppose the “militarization” of Micronesia.
Therese Terlaje, one of the resource speakers at the conference which ended Friday, said participants will gather all information and draft a solidarity statement explaining their position that the presence of the military is not conducive to the region.
Terlaje said the soon-to-be-formed coalition, which will be spearheaded by women activists from the Philippines, will include members from Guam, the CNMI, Palau, Japan, and Australia.
During Friday’s session, panelists and participants expressed concern about the Department of Navy’s memo that bans sex offenders from living within the military bases.
Terlaje said the issue was first brought up during a public education forum in 2008 by military planners. “They said we will no allow sexual offenders on the base even if they come from the military (or) as military dependents,” she said.
“They are not allowed to live on the base and that is how they pretty much left the problem and that means we have to figure out that if they’re outside the base obviously, that’s our problem. That’s all we know so far,” Terlaje said.
Also discussed last Friday was “human trafficking and prostitution.”
Annie Fukushima of the University of California at Berkeley told the stories of women promised a better life only to be tricked into becoming sex slaves.
Among them was a woman who claimed that a man she met told her she could come to the U.S. where she would be able to find work. The woman would end up in Hawaii and then a few months later on the U.S. mainland as a sex slave.
Sue Gilbey of Adelaide Australia touched on legal brothels in Australia, where sex workers are even unionized. Despite the legality of the flesh business, yet there have been reports of illegal human trafficking in Australia.
“One thing about these though is it provides a front like trafficking and it’s making it more difficult to identify [victims],” Gilbey said, noting that the organized crime is prevalent in South East Asia, eastern Europe Korea and India.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
University Of Guam Lecture: A Philippine Perspective On US Strategic Policy In The Pacific
University of the Philippines Scholar Presents Inaugural Lecture at UOG CLASS Philippine Studies Lecture Series
Written by Guam News Factor Staff Writer
Thursday, 10 September 2009 16:05
GUAM - The University of Guam's College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences presents the first in the Philippine Studies Lecture Series featuring Dr. Clarita Carlos, a professor of Political Science at the University of the Philippines, on Thursday, September 10 at 6:00 p.m. in the CLASS Lecture Hall.
Dr. Carlos's lecture is entitled, "US strategic policy in the Asia Pacific: A Philippine perspective." Dr. Carlos earned her doctorate in political science from the University of the Philippines and did post-doctoral work in Comparative Foreign Policy Analysis at the University of California Los Angeles as a Senior Fulbright Fellow; and post-doctoral work in Political Psychology at Cornell University in New York as a Fulbright Visiting Fellow. She has been a consultant on constitutional reforms, anti-corruption , security and defense issues to the Philippine Senate and Philippine House of Representatives for many years, and is a former president of the National Defense College.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., light refreshments will be served.
This event is made possible with a donation from the Nueva Ecija Family Association.
In addition to her faculty role at UP, Dr. Carlos is also president of the Center for Asia Pacific Studies, and director of the Philippine National Red Cross. She is the author of several books on Filipino political parties, electoral reform, and many other issues.
For more information contact Dr. Lilnabeth Somera at 735-2704 or someralp@uguam.uog.edu This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
This news announcement was prepared from a media release provided by the University of Guam.
Written by Guam News Factor Staff Writer
Thursday, 10 September 2009 16:05
GUAM - The University of Guam's College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences presents the first in the Philippine Studies Lecture Series featuring Dr. Clarita Carlos, a professor of Political Science at the University of the Philippines, on Thursday, September 10 at 6:00 p.m. in the CLASS Lecture Hall.
Dr. Carlos's lecture is entitled, "US strategic policy in the Asia Pacific: A Philippine perspective." Dr. Carlos earned her doctorate in political science from the University of the Philippines and did post-doctoral work in Comparative Foreign Policy Analysis at the University of California Los Angeles as a Senior Fulbright Fellow; and post-doctoral work in Political Psychology at Cornell University in New York as a Fulbright Visiting Fellow. She has been a consultant on constitutional reforms, anti-corruption , security and defense issues to the Philippine Senate and Philippine House of Representatives for many years, and is a former president of the National Defense College.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., light refreshments will be served.
This event is made possible with a donation from the Nueva Ecija Family Association.
In addition to her faculty role at UP, Dr. Carlos is also president of the Center for Asia Pacific Studies, and director of the Philippine National Red Cross. She is the author of several books on Filipino political parties, electoral reform, and many other issues.
For more information contact Dr. Lilnabeth Somera at 735-2704 or someralp@uguam.uog.edu This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
This news announcement was prepared from a media release provided by the University of Guam.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Rand Study Suggests US Loses War with China
Rand Study Suggests U.S. Loses War With China
By wendell minnick
Defense News
Published: 16 Oct 11:45 EDT (15:45 GMT)
TAIPEI - A new RAND study suggests U.S. air power in the Pacific would be inadequate to thwart a Chinese attack on Taiwan in 2020. The study, entitled "Air Combat Past, Present and Future," by John Stillion and Scott Perdue, says China's anti-access arms and strategy could deny the U.S. the "ability to operate efficiently from nearby bases or seas."
According to the study, U.S. aircraft carriers and air bases would be threatened by Chinese development of anti-ship ballistic missiles, the fielding of diesel and nuclear submarines equipped with torpedoes and SS-N-22 and SS-N-27 anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), fighters and bombers carrying ASCMs and HARMs, and new ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
The report states that 34 missiles with submunition warheads could cover all parking ramps at Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa.
An "attack like this could damage, destroy or strand 75 percent of aircraft based at Kadena," it says.
In contrast, many Chinese air bases are harder than Kadena, with some "super-hard underground hangers."
To make matters worse, Kadena is the only U.S. air base within 500 nautical miles of the Taiwan Strait, whereas China has 27.
U.S. air bases in South Korea are more than 750 miles distant, and those in Japan are more than 885 miles away. Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, is 1,500 miles away. The result is that sortie rates will be low, with a "huge tanker demand."
The authors suggest China's CETC Y-27 radar, which is similar to Russia's Nebo SVU VHF Digital AESA, could counter U.S. stealth fighter technology. China is likely to outfit its fighters with improved radars and by "2020 even very stealthy targets likely [would be] detectable by Flanker radars at 25+ nm." China is also likely to procure the new Su-35BM fighter by 2020, which will challenge the F-35 and possibly the F-22.
The authors also question the reliability of U.S. beyond-visual-range weapons, such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM. U.S. fighters have recorded only 10 AIM-120 kills, none against targets equipped with the kinds of countermeasures carried by Chinese Su-27s and Su-30s. Of the 10, six were beyond-visual-range kills, and it required 13 missiles to get them.
If a conflict breaks out between China and the U.S. over Taiwan, the authors say it is difficult to "predict who will have had the last move in the measure-countermeasure game."
Overall, the authors say, "China could enjoy a 3:1 edge in fighters if we can fly from Kadena - about 10:1 if forced to operate from Andersen. Overcoming these odds requires qualitative superiority of 9:1 or 100:1" - a differential that is "extremely difficult to achieve" against a like power.
If beyond-visual-range missiles work, stealth technology is not countered and air bases are not destroyed, U.S. forces have a chance, but "history suggests there is a limit of about 3:1 where quality can no longer compensate for superior enemy numbers."
A 24-aircraft Su-27/30 regiment can carry around 300 air-to-air missiles (AAMs), whereas 24 F-22s can carry only 192 AAMs and 24 F-35s only 96 AAMs.
Though current numbers assume the F-22 could shoot down 48 Chinese Flankers when "outnumbered 12:1 without loss," these numbers do not take into account a less-than-perfect U.S. beyond-visual-range performance, partial or complete destruction of U.S. air bases and aircraft carriers, possible deployment of a new Chinese stealth fighter around 2020 or 2025, and the possible use of Chinese "robo-fighters" to deplete U.S. "fighters' missile loadout prior to mass attack."
The authors write that Chinese counter stealth, anti-access, countermissile technologies are proliferating and the U.S. military needs "a plan that accounts for this."
By wendell minnick
Defense News
Published: 16 Oct 11:45 EDT (15:45 GMT)
TAIPEI - A new RAND study suggests U.S. air power in the Pacific would be inadequate to thwart a Chinese attack on Taiwan in 2020. The study, entitled "Air Combat Past, Present and Future," by John Stillion and Scott Perdue, says China's anti-access arms and strategy could deny the U.S. the "ability to operate efficiently from nearby bases or seas."
According to the study, U.S. aircraft carriers and air bases would be threatened by Chinese development of anti-ship ballistic missiles, the fielding of diesel and nuclear submarines equipped with torpedoes and SS-N-22 and SS-N-27 anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), fighters and bombers carrying ASCMs and HARMs, and new ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
The report states that 34 missiles with submunition warheads could cover all parking ramps at Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa.
An "attack like this could damage, destroy or strand 75 percent of aircraft based at Kadena," it says.
In contrast, many Chinese air bases are harder than Kadena, with some "super-hard underground hangers."
To make matters worse, Kadena is the only U.S. air base within 500 nautical miles of the Taiwan Strait, whereas China has 27.
U.S. air bases in South Korea are more than 750 miles distant, and those in Japan are more than 885 miles away. Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, is 1,500 miles away. The result is that sortie rates will be low, with a "huge tanker demand."
The authors suggest China's CETC Y-27 radar, which is similar to Russia's Nebo SVU VHF Digital AESA, could counter U.S. stealth fighter technology. China is likely to outfit its fighters with improved radars and by "2020 even very stealthy targets likely [would be] detectable by Flanker radars at 25+ nm." China is also likely to procure the new Su-35BM fighter by 2020, which will challenge the F-35 and possibly the F-22.
The authors also question the reliability of U.S. beyond-visual-range weapons, such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM. U.S. fighters have recorded only 10 AIM-120 kills, none against targets equipped with the kinds of countermeasures carried by Chinese Su-27s and Su-30s. Of the 10, six were beyond-visual-range kills, and it required 13 missiles to get them.
If a conflict breaks out between China and the U.S. over Taiwan, the authors say it is difficult to "predict who will have had the last move in the measure-countermeasure game."
Overall, the authors say, "China could enjoy a 3:1 edge in fighters if we can fly from Kadena - about 10:1 if forced to operate from Andersen. Overcoming these odds requires qualitative superiority of 9:1 or 100:1" - a differential that is "extremely difficult to achieve" against a like power.
If beyond-visual-range missiles work, stealth technology is not countered and air bases are not destroyed, U.S. forces have a chance, but "history suggests there is a limit of about 3:1 where quality can no longer compensate for superior enemy numbers."
A 24-aircraft Su-27/30 regiment can carry around 300 air-to-air missiles (AAMs), whereas 24 F-22s can carry only 192 AAMs and 24 F-35s only 96 AAMs.
Though current numbers assume the F-22 could shoot down 48 Chinese Flankers when "outnumbered 12:1 without loss," these numbers do not take into account a less-than-perfect U.S. beyond-visual-range performance, partial or complete destruction of U.S. air bases and aircraft carriers, possible deployment of a new Chinese stealth fighter around 2020 or 2025, and the possible use of Chinese "robo-fighters" to deplete U.S. "fighters' missile loadout prior to mass attack."
The authors write that Chinese counter stealth, anti-access, countermissile technologies are proliferating and the U.S. military needs "a plan that accounts for this."
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Valiant Shield 2007
Valiant Shield 2007 Begins
By Trina A San Agustin
Variety News Staff
Tuesday 7 August 07
-------------------
VALIANT Shield 2007, the largest naval war games in Guam waters, began yesterday.
Participating in this year’s event are over 20,000 U.S. military personnel and three carrier strike groups — the USS John Stennis, the USS Nimitz, and the conventionally powered carrier the USS Kitty Hawk.
Valiant Shield ends on Aug. 13.
U.S. Air Force personnel are said to have 60 fighters, bombers, air refuel tankers, as well as cargo planes.
The Valiant Shield series of exercises focuses on integrated joint training among U.S. military forces and enhances real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces and in detecting, locating, tracking and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land, and in cyberspace in response to the range of mission areas, according to the Valiant Shield 2007 Web site.
In addition to the field training exercises, staff training exercises will take place concurrently for the Joint Task Force. The task force consists of 519 staff and component staffs at their headquarters in Hawaii and San Diego, according to the Valiant Shield 2007 Web site.
The exercises will bring together Air Force and Navy personnel and their assets to “work through a range of war fighting skills such as maritime interdiction and command and control.”
“This exercise, the greatest concentration of naval and air power in the Western Pacific since the Vietnam War, demonstrates joint command, control and communications of U.S. forces while highlighting continued U.S. commitment to allies and friends of the region. We are also hosting observers from many nations, including China,” the Web site reads.
This is not the island’s first time to play host to a large exercise. Last summer, naval war games involved more than 22,000 U.S. military personnel, 30 ships, and 280 aircraft. Officials say the number of this year’s participants mirrors that of last year.
Because of this exercise, residents can expect more traffic on Guam roadways, an increase in retail shoppers, as well as increased foot traffic in Tumon as the participants of Valiant Shield may have several days off to visit the island.
By Trina A San Agustin
Variety News Staff
Tuesday 7 August 07
-------------------
VALIANT Shield 2007, the largest naval war games in Guam waters, began yesterday.
Participating in this year’s event are over 20,000 U.S. military personnel and three carrier strike groups — the USS John Stennis, the USS Nimitz, and the conventionally powered carrier the USS Kitty Hawk.
Valiant Shield ends on Aug. 13.
U.S. Air Force personnel are said to have 60 fighters, bombers, air refuel tankers, as well as cargo planes.
The Valiant Shield series of exercises focuses on integrated joint training among U.S. military forces and enhances real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces and in detecting, locating, tracking and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land, and in cyberspace in response to the range of mission areas, according to the Valiant Shield 2007 Web site.
In addition to the field training exercises, staff training exercises will take place concurrently for the Joint Task Force. The task force consists of 519 staff and component staffs at their headquarters in Hawaii and San Diego, according to the Valiant Shield 2007 Web site.
The exercises will bring together Air Force and Navy personnel and their assets to “work through a range of war fighting skills such as maritime interdiction and command and control.”
“This exercise, the greatest concentration of naval and air power in the Western Pacific since the Vietnam War, demonstrates joint command, control and communications of U.S. forces while highlighting continued U.S. commitment to allies and friends of the region. We are also hosting observers from many nations, including China,” the Web site reads.
This is not the island’s first time to play host to a large exercise. Last summer, naval war games involved more than 22,000 U.S. military personnel, 30 ships, and 280 aircraft. Officials say the number of this year’s participants mirrors that of last year.
Because of this exercise, residents can expect more traffic on Guam roadways, an increase in retail shoppers, as well as increased foot traffic in Tumon as the participants of Valiant Shield may have several days off to visit the island.
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