Solidarity Actions to Protest US Military Expansion in Takae (Okinawa)

January 3, 2011 by kyle from DMZhawaii.org

U.S. military helicopters buzzed the peace encampment near the Yambaru forest in Takae, at the northern end of Okinawa. Construction of the jungle warfare training area has begun. This is another site of community resistance to U.S. military base expansion in Okinawa, but it has gotten far less media attention than Futenma and Henoko. Groups in Japan are mobilizing to protest the U.S. expansion of training in the rainforest of Yambaru. They requested international groups to send messages of solidarity:

Email your message/request to: no.base.okinawa@gmail.com

Please include in your email the following information:

*** Name (for an individual) or name of your organization
*** Your message/request (length is up to you)

Both Japanese and English messages will be accepted.

（日本語ではこちらをご覧ください。）

Please Join Us in Our Action for Preserving the Pristine Yanbaru Forest and People of Takae, Okinawa!

We invite you to join us in our protest at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo over the restart of the U.S. helipads construction in Takae, Higashi Village of Okinawa, and the destruction of the sit-in tent by a U.S. helicopter, either by sending us your message/request to the US Embassy by email by January 8, or physically joining our action on January 10 in Tokyo (see instruction at the bottom).

The Yambaru Forest is a habitat for endangered species such as Yambaru Kuina (Okinawan Rail) and Noguchi Gera (Okinawan Woodpecker). It is known internationally as a region rich in biodiversity. Takae, situated in Yambaru, is a small village of about 160 residents, including many who moved here for its pristine nature.

However, the U.S. Marine Corps has been using the Yambaru Forest for combat training. In 1957, th US military started using the area as “Northern Training Area” (Jungle Warfare Training Center), and currently there are 15 U.S. helicopter takeoff and landing zones (helipads) in Higashi Village. Residents of Takae have constantly suffered from the noise and the risk of helicopter crashes. To make matters worse, the Japanese and US governments decided to build 6 new helipads, surrounding the residential neighborhood of Takae.

Construction of new helipads will not only further endanger the livelihood and lives themselves of Takae residents, but also further destroy the precious environment with its wealth of species, forest and rivers. New military facilities also pave the way to the possibility of a new war. Residents of Takae have protested against the helipads construction for the above reasons. In 2006, we passed a resolution against the new helipads, and demanded of the relevant authorities that they review the construction plan. Takae residents and their supporters from across Japan and from around the world have continued to sit-in, monitoring the site and trying to persuade the government against the construction.

The Japanese and US governments, however, have not listened to the voices of opposition by the residents, and have not provided sincere explanation or proper opportunities for public hearing. The Japanese government even decided, all of a sudden, to prosecute some of the local protesters for obstructing traffic.

Just before dawn on December 22, 2010, at 6:30 AM, some 100 members of the Okinawa Defense Bureau, ignoring the ongoing court proceedings, barged into the site without warning to restart the helipad construction. On the next night, December 23rd, a US helicopter hovered only 15 meters above the sit-in tent, causing the tent to blow down. Such military exercise over a public road threatenｓ the safety of local residents. The Japanese and US governments are harming the people of Takae by forcing through the construction work without sufficient explanation or consent by local residents. Such an approach by the two governments is unacceptable.

Residents of the Henoko district in Nago City, where the Japanese and US governments plan to build a replacement base for MCAS Futenma, have also been sitting-in for over 2,400 days, in order to preserve their life and the beautiful ocean. We urge you also to say “NO” to the new base plan in Henoko.

Following our protest to the Ministry of Defense on December 22 and the December 26 demonstration in Shinjuku, “Save Takae/Okinawa – an urgent appeal and demonstration against construction of helipads,” we will go to the US Embassy in Tokyo and the Japanese Ministry of Defense on January 10 (Mon.), 2011, to protest. We would like to collect as many requests/demands as possible and deliver them to the US government. We accept both individual and organizational messages. Just one sentence message, such as “We do not need US helipads in the pristine forest” will suffice, or a longer message is welcome too. The Takae and Henoko issues are not just about war and military bases, but they are also about environmental preservation, biological diversity, and an alternative, “slow-life” lifestyle. Please express your message in your own words. Please follow the below instruction and send your message by January 8, 2011.

With our voices and with our actions, let us stop the helipad construction in Takae, and the base construction in Henoko. Let us bring a peaceful and fulfilling life to Takae and Henoko!

(The original document in Japanese is at: http://takae.ti-da.net/e3296164.html. Translated by Norimatsu Satoko and Gavan McCormack)

Japan team probing Guamanians about buildup

Japan team probing Guamanians about buildup

Posted: Feb 17, 2010 2:39 PM
Updated: Feb 17, 2010 3:24 PM

by Nick Delgado

Guam - A group of Japanese citizens are on island to determine the feelings of the residents when it comes to the U.S. Marines' relocation from Okinawa to Guam. Vice-Speaker B.J. Cruz says the group has interviewed several residents who were in favor of the buildup, and were surprised to hear that the senator was opposed.

"I told them that at least to their credit that they should be lauded for having the decency to come ask how we feel about this buildup, whereas the United States really hasn't, expect for the military wanting to know whether or not we're happy with what they are going to be doing with us," he said.

Guam calls for transfer of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to be delayed

Guam calls for transfer of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to be delayed

Feb 17 02:28 AM US/Eastern

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 (AP) - (Kyodo) — The congresswoman who represents Guam in the U.S. House of Representatives said Tuesday that the 2014 deadline for completing the planned transfer of about 8,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa to the Pacific island should be delayed so that the island can better prepare for the upcoming surge in population.

"One of the most troubling aspects of the draft environmental impact statement (for the military buildup on Guam) is that all assumptions are based on projects being completed by 2014," Democrat Madeleine Bordallo said in an address to Guam's legislature. The text of her speech was made available on her website.

"This flawed assumption has drawn consequences and conclusions that are not sustainable and not supported by anyone," Bordallo said.

In addition to relocating about 8,600 Marines and 9,000 family members from the southernmost Japanese prefecture, the buildup plan for the island includes the establishment of an Army Missile Defense Task Force and the construction of a wharf for use by the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

According to a recent report by Stars and Stripes, a Pentagon- authorized newspaper for U.S. military personnel overseas, the buildup calls for "adding nearly 80,000 people to Guam's 178,000 population during the height of construction in 2014." The 80,000 is believed to include a large number of temporary workers who will come to the island to engage in construction work necessary for the buildup.

Bordallo said among concerns associated with the buildup is "the lack of a comprehensive plan for the housing of guest workers and providing for their health care needs in a manner that does not further overwhelm our local infrastructure and health care system."

"We cannot allow guest worker housing off-base to cause the faucets to run dry or power outages in our homes," she said, adding she will not support "appropriations and authorizations that will result in a construction pace that brings 80,000 people to Guam in 2014."

Bordallo's call for the buildup plan to be delayed follows a similar request by Guam Gov. Felix Camacho to the U.S. military last month.

The relocation of the Marines from Okinawa to Guam is linked to the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station within Okinawa, which is also eyed in the same time frame.

Sen. Webb open to options on Okinawa base dispute

Sen. Webb open to options on Okinawa base dispute

By Malcolm Foster, The Associated Press
Pacific edition, Wednesday, February 17, 2010

TOKYO — A member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee said Monday he's open to hearing options on how to resolve a dispute over the relocation of a controversial U.S. Marine base on the Japanese island of Okinawa.

Starting a weeklong tour in Japan and Guam, Sen. Jim Webb also called Toyota's recent recall problems — the subject of two congressional hearings next week — a "business issue" that wouldn't affect political ties between Japan and the United States.

U.S.-Japan relations have soured after the new Tokyo government put on hold a plan to move Futenma Marine airfield on the southern island of Okinawa — part of a broader 2006 agreement with Washington to reorganize the 47,000 U.S. troops in Japan — because of local opposition.

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who swept into power after last August's elections, has said he will make a decision on Futenma by May.

Webb, who has made numerous visits to Okinawa over the last 40 years, first as a Marine during the Vietnam War and later as a U.S. defense planner and government official, said the main purpose of his visit was to listen to the views of the Japanese government and people of Okinawa, where many resent the heavy U.S. military presence.

"There could be a number of practical options," Webb said about ways to resolve the Futenma issue. "I don't want to outline those options today because I don't want to cut short the discussions that we're going to have."

Webb, a Democrat who represents Virginia, said a solution needed to be found quickly "on the Futenma issue for the well-being of the citizens in that area."

"I am open to listening to all suggestions from the Japanese government and also the people of Okinawa," he told journalists at a news conference.

Last year, Webb made a high-profile trip to Myanmar to negotiate the release of American John Yettaw, who was arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison after he had sneaked into the home of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Obama administration has insisted the Hatoyama government proceed with the 2006 plan to move Futenma to Nago, a city in a less crowded, northern part of Okinawa that recently elected an anti-base mayor.

Webb said he did not recommend moving Futema's facilities outside of Okinawa, as many local residents want, but he also suggested he didn't necessarily support the Obama's administration's position.

"We're not a parliamentary system, so I am not obligated to support the administration in a specific way," he said.

Webb, who is also chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on East Asia, met with Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada later Monday.

Making his first trip to Japan since Hatoyama came to office in September, Webb said he didn't believe that U.S.-Japan ties had been weakened by the change in government in Tokyo, and stressed that Japan was Washington's most important ally in the region.

He also defended the U.S. military presence in Japan and the importance of having Marines based in Okinawa.

"I would ask you to consider what the stability of this region would look like if suddenly (the U.S.) were to withdraw its military from its bases in Japan, what temptations might follow that," he said.

Webb briefly touched on Japanese family law that gives only one parent — nearly always the mother — custody of children in cases of divorce. That has left many divorced American fathers from seeing their children in Japan.

The issue has become increasingly important in Washington. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell last month warned that if Japan doesn't address the problem it risks hurting ties with the U.S.

Webb said he hoped Japan's Ministry of Justice would work to arrange "proper custody arrangements" and that it could "be resolved through harmony between the two governments rather than bringing a big stick."

First DoD civilian convicted on Guam

First DoD civilian convicted on Guam

Wednesday, 17 February 2010 03:34
by Romeo Carlos | Variety News Staff

AHEAD of the military’s plan to heavily militarize Guam over the next few years and growing concerns by local residents over the social impact of thousands of Marines coming to Guam, U.S. Attorney Lenny Rapadas has announced the conviction of a military civilian employee brought to Guam to face charges of sexual abuse of a minor while employed at a military base on Okinawa.

Bruce Carey Wood, 56, was sentenced yesterday in the District Court of Guam by Judge Francis Tydingco-Gatewood to 10 years of prison time, becoming the first Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act case tried on Guam.

Wood had been living and working on Okinawa as a chef at the U.S. Camp Shield Naval Base, where he was arrested last July for sexual abuse of a boy since 2000, according to court documents.

On the first count of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual contact allegedly occurred between 2000 and 2004, when the boy was less than 12 years old, court documents state. He was charged with a second count of alleged sexual abuse of a minor between 2005 and 2008.

“This is proof that no one is beyond the law,” Rapadas said, adding that the long arm jurisdiction “allows us to reach out and prosecute U.S. citizens who commit crimes outside the United States.”

Closed loopholes

MEJA was a bill passed in 2000 to close legal loopholes that allowed civilians or military personnel to escape justice for crimes they might commit while employed by or accompanying armed forces overseas.

The law covers civilian employees of the Department of Defense as well as its contractors and their employees, including subcontractors who could face prosecution for any offense otherwise punishable by imprisonment for more than one year if committed within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.

A series of incidents in Okinawa over the years has led to considerable public uproar over crimes linked to U.S. troops in Japan, including a long history of individual and gang rapes, robberies and murder by military personnel linked to the Okinawa bases.

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.

PNC :: Japan's SDP Wants To Move Futemma to Guam

PNC :: Japan's SDP Wants To Move Futemma to Guam

Sunday, 14 February 2010

Guam - Japan's Social Democratic Party plans to include Guam among proposed alternative sites for the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station in Okinawa.

Reports from both the AP and Kyodo news services posted on breitbart.com, say that the SDP will place emphasis on Guam as the destination for most of the base's functions. Party Policy chief Tomoko Abe is quoted as saying "The bases in Guam are big and there are many possible locations."

Another governing coalition partner, the People's New Party, is reportedly proposing integrating Futemma's functions with the nearby U.S. Kadena Air Base.

Read the posting on Breitbart
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9DR735G0&show_article=1

The two junior coalition partners in the Democratic Party of Japan-led government are set to present their relocation proposals Wednesday to a government committee exploring possible alternative sites for moving Futemma, currently located in the city of Ginowan.

Just last week, Guam Governor Felix Camacho told a visiting Japanese Diet delegation that Guam could not accommodate any more than 8,600 Marines currently being proposed for transfer here from Futenma.

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has said his government would announce its desired intentions for the Futenma relocation in May.

The U.S. government continues to maintain that the existing plan to move the base to Nagano, which was agreed to by the previous Japanese Government, is the best option.

Written by : Kevin Kerrigan

SDP to seek moving Futemma to Guam, PNP eyes integration with Kadena

SDP to seek moving Futemma to Guam, PNP eyes integration with Kadena

Feb 13 04:32 AM US/Eastern

TOKYO, Feb. 13 (AP) - (Kyodo) — The Social Democratic Party plans to include Guam among proposed alternative sites for the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station in Okinawa, while the People's New Party is eyeing integrating Futemma's functions with the nearby U.S. Kadena Air Base among other options, party members said Saturday.

The two junior coalition partners in the Democratic Party of Japan-led government are set to present their relocation proposals Wednesday to a government committee exploring possible alternative sites for moving Futemma, currently located in the city of Ginowan.

The proposals, however, are unlikely to aid the Japanese government in achieving its target of finalizing an alternative site by May as both ideas have been floated in the past but were seen as difficult to realize.

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has set the target, although the U.S. government has maintained that an existing plan, agreed with Japan in to move the Futemma facility to the coastal area of the Henoko district in Nago, a less populated city in Okinawa, is the best option.

Among a number of proposals that it plans to present, the SDP, which has called for Futemma to be moved out of Okinawa or abroad, will place emphasis on Guam as the destination for most of the base's functions, with party policy chief Tomoko Abe saying, "The bases in Guam are big and there are many possible locations."

Although Guam Gov. Felix Camacho has expressed a negative view about relocating the functions to the U.S. territory, the SDP believes such a move would be accepted by residents of Guam if the infrastructure there were improved to enable it, according to the party members.

In addition, the party is considering an Air Self-Defense Force base in Nagasaki Prefecture and Saga airport in neighboring Saga Prefecture among other prospective relocation sites, but many SDP lawmakers remain cautious about proposing an alternative location within Japan, the members said.

Meanwhile, the PNP plans to present a set of proposals centering on the idea of integrating Futemma's functions with the U.S. Air Force's Kadena base and moving some of the training activities there to other parts of Japan, the PNP members said.

The proposal would entail moving some F-15 fighter drills at Kadena to the U.S. Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture and some other exercises to civilian airports including Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture, they said.

"We will also work on reducing noise pollution for residents near Kadena," said Mikio Shimoji, the PNP's policy chief.

The party is also exploring the possibility of including Saipan and Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands as candidate sites for some of the exercises.

Some members of the Japanese government committee studying alternative sites for the relocation of Futemma, including Abe and Shimoji, have recently made inspection trips to places such as Guam and Tinian Island.

The transfer of about 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam is planned under the 2006 Japan-U.S. agreement on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan and is linked to the completion by 2014 of a new facility in Nago to take over Futemma's heliport functions.

Defense chief negative on Futemma relocation to Tinian

Defense chief negative on Futemma relocation to Tinian


Feb 12 12:36 AM US/Eastern

TOKYO, Feb. 12 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa on Friday downplayed the idea of relocating a U.S. Marine airfield in Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture, to Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth.

"As Prime Minister (Yukio Hatoyama) strongly intends to solve the (relocation) issue by May, it is really difficult," Kitazawa told a press conference on the possibility of considering Tinian as a candidate site for the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station.

On Wednesday, Tinian Mayor Ramon M. Dela Cruz told Kyodo News that Tinian can accept the Marine units.

The commonwealth governor, Benigno Fitial, also told a group of Japanese ruling coalition lawmakers who visited Saipan on Wednesday that the Northern Marianas is willing to host the full functions of the Futemma base as it will "invite the economic benefit" in terms of employment and land rent.

Kitazawa 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.

"Such discussions will likely drag on, making it difficult for us (to reach the final decision) in May," the minister said. He added that Futemma's relocation to the Northern Mariana Islands could be considered as a "long-term issue."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, who leads a government task force on the matter, also expressed little enthusiasm for the idea of relocating Futemma to the area, saying that the task force has never discussed it before.

"I am not aware of the idea as it came up so suddenly," the top government spokesman said at a separate press conference.

Hatoyama has said that Japan will reach a final conclusion by the end of May on where it wants to see the Futemma facility relocated, and a government committee has been exploring possible candidate sites.

Washington maintains that a plan agreed upon by Japan and the United States in 2006 to move the Futemma base to a less densely populated part of Okinawa is the best option.

Guam gov. negative on having more Marines from Okinawa than agreed

Guam gov. negative on having more Marines from Okinawa than agreed

Feb 11 07:08 AM US/Eastern

GUAM, Feb. 11 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Governor of Guam Felix Camacho on Thursday told visiting Japanese lawmakers that he is against accepting more than the agreed number of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to the Pacific island.

The lawmakers from Japan's ruling coalition government were on a fact- finding visit to Guam as part of their efforts to explore possible alternatives for the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station in Okinawa.

Under a 2006 Japan-U.S. agreement on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, about 8,000 Marines are to be transferred to Guam from Okinawa.

The Japanese government sent the lawmakers, who are members of a government panel on the Futemma relocation issue, to the island to see U.S. military bases there.

The Social Democratic Party, one of the two junior partners in the Democratic Party of Japan-led government, has been looking at Guam as a possible relocation site.

Northern Mariana Islands Governor Benigno Fitial was present at the meeting between Camacho and the Japanese lawmakers, according to Japanese officials. Fitial has expressed a positive view about accepting the Futemma Air Station functions to the islands.

Tinian mayor: ready to host US base functions

Tinian mayor: ready to host US base functions

2010/02/11 01:34(JST)

The mayor of one of the Northern Mariana Islands says it may be possible for his island to host the functions of a US Marine airbase currently located in Okinawa, southwestern Japan.

Mayor Ramon Dela Cruz of Tinian Island made the remark in a telephone interview with NHK on Wednesday.

Dela Cruz said there is enough land and facilities on the island and that Tinian would be willing to accept a base if the US military decides to relocate the functions of the US Marines' Futenma Air Station there.

The mayor said a deployment of military forces would bring large economic benefits through construction of the base and relevant installations.

He suggested the island will actively lobby the US government to station military forces on the island.

The Northern Mariana Islands are a commonwealth administered by the US.

Members of a Japanese government committee are currently visiting the islands in an effort to find an alternative site for the Futenma base.

But a Japanese defense expert says he is skeptical about relocating Futenma's functions to Tinian.

He says the recently-compiled US defense review, which outlines the nation's military strategy for the next 4 years, does not call for any realignment of US forces to the Northern Marianas Islands.

Students sound off on DEIS

Students sound off on DEIS

Posted: Feb 10, 2010 2:23 PM
Updated: Feb 10, 2010 6:49 PM

by Michele Catahay

Guam - Guam has until next Wednesday to comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Students plan to voice their concerns about a number of issues that will affect them come 2014.

Several Okkodo High School students recently participated in a "Youth Speak" event where experts spoke about the potential impacts of the move of 8,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam. Today, these students spoke before their peers about their own concerns.

Jeremy Denusta says he's most worried about the Department of Defense's plans to dredge at Apra Harbor to make way for a transient aircraft carrier berthing. He says because Apra Harbor is home to many forms of marine life, he isn't in support of it. "I really care about all of those stuff. Marine life is precious, so we're removing all of the coral there. It's like you're taking away the homes all of the fish. So they can't do that. I wouldn't want them to do that," he said.

Students also raised concerns about the military's plans to use lands in Umatac, Marbo Cave and Pagat to build training stations and firing ranges. Megan Borja says she would hate to have these pristine areas taken away from the people, telling KUAM News, "When they said they were going to use Marbo Cave as a firing range, that was like an insult because they're just going to be blowing all their bullets in there, you know?"

Christina Vasquez told her fellow students that they need to get involved since most of the decisions made will affect them and their families, saying, "Who plans to live here? and build their houses and raise their children? You will be dealing with every single issue that we speak about. The dredging, the landfill, the wastewater, the sewage, the animals. We won't have fish," she said.

Guam Coastal Management Program Outreach Coordinator Tammy Jo Taft says her presentations have allowed students to speak about these impacts in hopes for the youth to comment on the Draft EIS. "The point is to encourage students to comment because students are the generation that will inherit the decisions in the Draft EIS. The point is to help them find a voice and to help them comment on this process," she said.

The island has until next week to comment on the EIS. Taft says while many adults have attended public testimonies and submitted responses, she says the youth need to do so, too. "Most of the students that are in high school, by the time the buildup takes place they're going to be the young adults out in out community looking for jobs, starting families and these are the people that are going to be impacted the most because they have the longest time to spend on this island and deal with the changes that are happening," she said.

Three Japanese lawmakers make brief stop on Saipan

Three Japanese lawmakers make brief stop on Saipan

Tuesday, February 09, 2010
By Haidee V. Eugenio
Reporter

Three Japanese lawmakers who play major roles in the ongoing talks about the relocation of U.S. Marines from Japan to Guam will meet on Saipan with Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and other CNMI officials on their way to Guam on Wednesday.

The visiting members of the National Diet or the Japan Legislature include Mikio Shimoji, Tomoko Abe, and Ryoichi Hattori, Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos' legal counsel, Teresa Kim, said yesterday.

Shimoji is the policy chief of the People’s New Party, one of the tripartite ruling coalitions in Japan, Abe is the policy chief of the Social Democratic Party, and Hattori is also with the Social Democratic Party.

Kim said the Japanese lawmakers will be on Saipan “for approximately two hours before proceeding to Guam to meet with Guam leaders.”

During their short time on Saipan, they will meet with Fitial, Inos, House Speaker Froilan C. Tenorio (Cov-Saipan), and Senate President Paul A. Manglona (R-Rota) “to discuss current issues relevant to the CNMI and Japan and discuss any plans they may have so as to improve our tourism and economy,” said Kim.

Japan continues to be the CNMI's main tourism market. In December alone, 15,638 visitors from Japan came to the CNMI but this marked a 24 percent decrease compared to December 2008.

“The CNMI has always enjoyed a great working relationship with Japan. We recognize that Japan is our number one tourism source market and always welcome opportunities to meet with leaders of Japan to listen to their ideas and implement them when possible,” Kim added.

The Fitial administration has invited the media for a news briefing with the visiting Japanese lawmakers at 4:15pm Wednesday at the Coral Ocean Point.

The three Japanese lawmakers' visit comes at a time when Guam is on the verge of a massive military buildup, although Guam Gov. Felix P. Camacho has asked for a delay until after 2014.

A part of the realignment plan for the U.S. military in the region involves the relocation of some 8,000 Marines and their families from Okinawa to Guam by 2014.

Decision inching closer

Decision inching closer

Tuesday, 09 February 2010 04:05
by Romeo Carlos |
Variety News Staff

Fact-finding mission from Japan, Futenma air base accord expected

IN A sign of progress in Japan’s laggard decision-making process of what to do about the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, Kyodo News is reporting another trip to Guam by Japanese government officials is set for tomorrow.

The undisclosed Japanese official is expected on island as part of the second fact-finding mission since December as the Tokyo government tries to narrow down potential sites for the relocation of the air base and select a candidate site by the end of next month, according to sources.

The Social Democratic Party, one of the junior coalition partners in the new center-left government of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, has floated Guam as an alternative to the current plan. A government committee decided at a meeting Tuesday they needed to know more about the situation on the ground on Guam and decided to send a fact-finding mission on Feb. 10.

According to the Japanese news service, the committee, chaired by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, will look at potential alternate sites in Okinawa for Futenma but said they will not exclude the current plan which calls for moving the air base to a less dense area of the southern Japanese island in Nago city.

The source further explained to Kyodo News that the committee was instructed by government officials to come up with alternate possibilities by the end of March as officials would still need to check with the United States and get approval from local governments in the alternate area selected.

Panel members are expected to present their alternative plans for consideration in the second half of this month.

At a ministerial committee meeting involving the heads of the three parties in the governing coalition, which will include reports submitted by the Guam fact-finding mission upon their return, a decision is expected to be hashed out of the discussions in ample time for Hatoyama’s May deadline adjudication.

Japan contingent expected this week

Japan contingent expected this week

Posted: Feb 08, 2010 10:18 AM
Updated: Feb 08, 2010 2:45 PM

by Mindy Aguon

Guam - A fact-finding team from Japan is expected to visit the island this week as a special committee, formed to review a pact between Japan and the United States, is compiling a list of possible relocation sites for the Futenma air base. The Status of Forces Agreement provides for the relocation of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to the territory once Futenma is moved to Camp Schwab in Northwest Okinawa.

The special committee though, according to the stars and stripes, will send a special team to the island on February 10 at the request of the Social Democratic Party. But Japan Deputy Consulate Seisuke Shimizu says the trip has not been officially confirmed yet. Japan's defense minister Toshimi Kitizawa visited the island in December and said he felt it would be "impossible" to have the air base on the island.

Japan has announced that it doesn't intend to make a decision on the replacement facility until May.

Japan questions 'kindness budget': Frustrations run deep in Okinawa over U.S. presence

Japan questions 'kindness budget': Frustrations run deep in Okinawa over U.S. presence

February 7, 2010
Guam PDN

GINOWAN, Japan (AP) -- In a country where land is a precious commodity, many U.S. bases in Japan boast golf courses, football fields and giant shopping malls whose food courts offer everything from Taco Bell to Subway and Starbucks.

They are the most visible point of grievance in a sharpening debate about the cost to Japan of supporting the 47,000 American service members here -- about $2 billion a year. That's about three times what Germany pays to host U.S. forces on its soil.

But facing economic woes and seeking a more equal relationship with the U.S., Japan's new reformist government is questioning whether it should spend so much on U.S. troops -- a topic that was taboo under the pro-Washington administrations that governed Japan for most of the post-World War II era.

The scrutiny in Japan, Washington's deep-pocketed ally and most important strategic partner in Asia, comes at a bad time for the U.S., whose defense budget is already spread thin in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Japanese call their share a "kindness budget," implying the U.S. is getting a free ride, and its opponents say it is rife with waste. The opposition also reflects a long-standing feeling, particularly on the left, that the U.S. is taking its security alliance with Japan too much for granted.

The alliance has come under intense pressure since Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama took office last September. He says the alliance remains a "keystone" of Japanese policy, but he wants to reevaluate it.

"This will be a very important year for our relationship," he said last month.
The flash point of the debate is the southern island of Okinawa, where most of the nearly 100 U.S. facilities in Japan are located.

Futenma airfield, where several thousand Marines are stationed, was to have been moved from the town of Ginowan to Nago, in a less crowded part of the island. But that plan came into doubt last month after Nago elected a mayor who opposes having the base.

At the same time, the U.S. is shifting about 8,000 troops from Okinawa to the U.S. territory of Guam and expects Japan to pay an estimated $6 billion of the moving costs.

The frustrations run deep in cramped Ginowan. Local media regularly run images of the golf course at nearby Kadena Air Base and criticize the forces relentlessly whenever a service member is involved in a local crime.

"When people who live in crowded areas in small houses drive by and see the situation on the bases, some feel angry," said Hideki Toma, an official dealing with the bases on Okinawa.

"This is a bigger issue than the golf courses and free highway passes," Toma said. "It goes back to the fact that Okinawa was occupied after World War II and why the bases have to be here in the first place."

That sentiment is widely shared, and underscores a feeling that the bases should be spread out more evenly among Japan's main islands and Okinawa. Okinawa was one of the bloodiest battlefields of World War II, and Okinawans feel that the continued U.S. presence places an uneven burden on them, though the argument that all U.S. forces should leave Japan is not popular.

American officials say the deployment in Japan of troops, fighter jets and the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier based outside the U.S. has enabled Japan to hold down its own defense costs in line with its pacifist constitution.

They say the U.S. presence also prevents an arms race in east Asia, acts as a deterrent against North Korea, and counters the rise of China.

Facilities such as on-base golf courses represent a small fraction of the sum U.S. taxpayers chip in for the defense of Japan -- about $3.9 billion a year, according to a U.S. State Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the details.

"There is no difference in the facilities that our forces have here than they have anywhere else in the world, including the United States," Lt. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, the commander of the U.S Army's Pacific Forces, told The Associated Press. "But we cannot view forces that are out here simply as Japan. They are in Asia; they are available for responsive deployment."

Japan covers much of the cost for supporting American troops, including utilities, maintenance and physical upgrades plus the wages of tens of thousands of Japanese civilians working on the bases.

Previous governments were too willing to pay because they wanted to maintain a special relationship with the United States, said Eiichi Hoshino, professor of international relations at the University of the Ryukyus.

"Japan had kept paying the kindness budget simply because it is the one that wanted the U.S. forces to stay," he said. "If the United States wants to stay here at any cost, it should be the one who is paying."

U.S. in the dark on final Futenma decision

U.S. in the dark on final Futenma decision

BY YOICHI KATO, ASAHI SHIMBUN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

2010/02/05

Washington has no idea what decision Tokyo will reach in May on relocating the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa Prefecture, according to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell.

Apparently underscoring Washington's sense of frustration, Campbell said Tuesday in an exclusive interview with The Asahi Shimbun in Tokyo: "I don't know where we'll end up in the end. Almost every day someone comes out with a statement or a proposal. What we're looking for is a process that is disciplined."

He reiterated Washington's position that the 2006 agreement to move the Futenma Relocation Facility (FRF) to Henoko, Okinawa Prefecture, remains the best approach from the standpoint of maintaining a credible deterrent capability for the bilateral alliance and also for reducing the footprint of U.S. forces in Okinawa Prefecture.

At the same time, he said the United States will "remain open for a dialogue and be flexible and listen" to Japanese ideas.

Following are excerpts of the interview:

* * *

Question: On the Futenma relocation issue, what progress have you made through the latest meeting of the Japan-U.S. Security Subcommittee (SSC) you just attended today (Feb. 2)?

Answer: I think what we learned more today was the process going forward. I think (our) Japanese friends briefed us on the coalition dialogue that they're having, about the process that they hope to take over the course of the next several weeks, and what we heard mostly was an explanation of the timing of that.

We still believe that the current FRF plan is the right approach, that it has the elements that we're looking for, consolidation in the northern part of the Okinawa main island, diversification in terms of moving some Marines to Guam, and still maintaining a strong deterrent capability for the U.S.-Japan relationship.

We were quite clear about that, so we're trying to walk a fine line. We're trying to be both firm but, at the same time, make clear to Japanese friends that we have to remain open for a dialogue and be flexible and listen to their ideas.

Q: What will it take to bring things to your goal?

A: We're at the very beginning of this process. I think the best and most important ingredient is just going to be close dialogue. So, we're going to be meeting almost every week for the coming couple of months. And that close dialogue is the essential ingredient. The truth is, I don't know where we're going to be in three months.

Q: Could you elaborate?

A: I don't know where we'll be. All I know is that we'll be working closely together. I don't know where we'll end up, in the end.

Q: Do you mean you're not confident in this process?

A: No, I didn't say that. I just said I'm not sure where we'll end up. I have confidence that there have been some commitments made on the part of the Japanese government, the prime minister to the president. But, at the same time, this is a complicated process.

Q: On Jan. 24, a mayoral candidate opposing the current FRF [Futenma Replacemebt Facility] plan was elected in the city of Nago, where Henoko is located. Do you think the Henoko option is less feasible now, if not totally dead?

A: It makes it more challenging, and we have to be attentive to local conditions. But at the same time, there is a recognition that, for issues as important as the U.S.-Japan alliance, ultimately these decisions have to be taken at the central government level, between Washington and Tokyo.

And decisions have to be made not just for small villages but for the entirety of the population of Japan and the United States and the strength of our overall alliance.

Q: Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said in a news conference Monday (Feb. 1) that at the end of the day, the conclusion could be the continued use of the Futenma Air Station. Could you respond to this?

A: I can't. I mean, I will say this: We've heard a number of statements. Almost every day someone comes out with a statement or a proposal.

What we're looking for is a process that is disciplined, that senior Japanese friends provide us with either questions or input, or ideas, and that we have an opportunity to work with them on that process. That's our goal here.

Q: Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage has said that Washington should have a Plan B. What are your views?

A: I have heard what Ambassador Armitage has indicated. We've tried to be very clear that at the same time that we believe that our current approach is the right one, we also believe that there has to be a degree of flexibility as well.

Q: But, if you don't know where it is going to end up, don't you have to prepare for the worst-case scenario?

A: I think that, at this juncture, the most important thing I can state is that we still believe that the current plan is the best plan but, at the same time, we have to be prepared to listen and to be flexible with our Japanese friends.

And we think about many different scenarios, in Japan and elsewhere.

Q: Is it disturbing for you to hear so many different scenarios and options coming from Tokyo?

A: I wouldn't say "disturbing," but I think the truth is that for many years, there has been a desire for a more open U.S.-Japan alliance, more democratization in Japan, Japanese decision-making and a link between the policymakers and the people in Japan, and that process is happening now, inside the country.

I don't, for a minute, believe that that process will be easy, but I also think, in the long run, it's likely to be a healthy process. So, what's important on the part of the United States is to have confidence in Japan, not to react to every little press comment, and to keep the long view on the horizon, which is that the United States and Japan need to work closely together.

Q: Tell me about the situation on Capitol Hill. Are you concerned that their patience may soon wear out and the situation will get out of hand?

A: I don't think the situation will "get out of hand," because there is such a strong desire to see U.S.-Japan relations move forward together.

The truth is, as we travel around the region, one of the things that I've been struck by over the course of the last couple of months, is how many countries have raised with us the desire for the U.S.-Japan relationship to remain the stable foundation of all that we do in the region.

At the same time, there's a broad recognition in the U.S. government and in Congress that it's very difficult for us to achieve anything in Asia without a strong partnership with Japan.

So, I think there may be occasional impatience, on either side, but there is also a deep recognition that it is critical for us to find the best way to work together, moving forward.

Q: You think it's still manageable?

A: Oh yes. The situation we face today is not in any way similar to 1995 and 1996 (when there was a rape of a schoolgirl by U.S. servicemen in Okinawa and the redefinition process of the alliance came to the center of public attention). That was a real crisis. This is not a real crisis. It's just a new government, two new governments, one in the United States and one in Japan. But, the fundamentals are very sound, very strong support in both countries, clear reasons for the alliance to remain strong, and a desire by the leadership on the two sides to do so.

Q: What lies at the core of the Futenma issue? Do you think this problem is just a temporary stalemate of policy implementation due to the power transition in Tokyo, or is this a manifestation of a much more fundamental shift of Japanese views on the alliance with the United States?

A: I think it's a new government. I think there are some different perspectives. I think it is incumbent on the United States to work closely with this new government, to answer questions, to make sure that we dispel concerns. We believe that is a critical component of our relationship, going forward.

But, you must also look over the course of the last couple of months. Despite some of these differences, Japan has done remarkable things.

Which country provided the most support after Copenhagen? Japan. Which country sent the largest amount of support to Afghanistan? Japan. Which country stepped up to assist us in Haiti? Pirates off the coast of Africa? Japan has taken a remarkably responsible role. We're working closely with them on Burma (Myanmar), on Iran.

So, I feel very confident about the things that we can do together, going forward.

Q: What did you discuss with Ichiro Ozawa, secretary-general of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan? Did you talk about the FRF [Futenma Replacement Facility]?

A: No. We mostly talked about the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance. We talked a little bit about Japanese history. We talked about his perspectives on China, and on the United States.

Q: Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and President Barack Obama agreed during their summit talks last November that the Japan-U.S. alliance needs to be deepened. What do you think needs to be talked about to reach that goal? How should, and would it be different from the so-called redefinition of the Japan-U.S. alliance back in 1996?

A: Well, the world has changed remarkably since 1996, and I think what we want is a deeper discussion on regional issues, on global matters, new challenges like cybersecurity, information, but also on climate change and the like.

So, I think what we need is a broader definition of why the U.S.-Japan alliance still continues to play a critical role, going forward.

Q: Harvard University professor Joseph Nye wrote in an Op-Ed piece for The New York Times that our alliance is larger than one issue. But, could you really proceed with the deepening process, while bypassing such a critical issue as Futenma?

A: I will give you one prediction. We will solve the FRF [Futenma Replacement Facility] problem and we will be able to move forward as an alliance. We'll be able to do both of those things in the coming year.

Q: The Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) has just been issued by the Pentagon. Can you tell me what impact it has on U.S. strategy toward Asia and the Pacific and the Japan-U.S. alliance, if any?

A: I think you are going to see that the United States recognizes that, in addition to the urgent challenges that we face in Afghanistan and Iraq, there is a recognition that we have longer-term challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, and that we need to take appropriate steps to ensure that our position remains strong in Asia, and I think you will see substantial steps and commitments in the QDR, to ensure that we maintain such a profile.

Q: Is there going to be any pullout of forces?

A: Not "pullout," but we're going to look to have more access and more (troops) in Southeast Asia.

Q: When Ozawa visited China in December, a senior DPJ politician, Kenji Yamaoka, who is a very close political ally of Ozawa, said in a speech in Shanghai that Ozawa confirmed with President Hu Jingtao that the Japan-U.S.-China relationship should be an equilateral triangle. Could you respond?

A: I think a better approach is something like a different kind of triangle, like an isosceles triangle or something like that.

The truth is that U.S.-Japan relations are ... we are allies and we're partners, and we have a fundamentally different kind of relationship than either the relationship between the United States and China, or the relationship between Japan and China.

But, the fact is that what we want to see are closer relations between Japan and China. We believe that is in our interests. We support it. We think that reducing tensions, building trust and confidence, is a critical part of Japanese foreign policy and we, in no way, would discourage that.

At the same time, we want communication among all three to increase and to maintain the strength of the U.S.-Japan security alliance.

Q: Are we going to see any progress on North Korea?

A: Well, I mean, I think the progress that we're seeing, to be perfectly honest, is the solidarity among the key players. China, but particularly South Korea, the United States, and Japan, in ensuring that the most important steps that North Korea can take are to come back to the six-party talks and to abide by their commitments made in 2005 and 2007, and that, unless we have progress, we are not going to ease our sanctions policies toward the DPRK.

2011 buildup spending pegged at $1.3B

2011 buildup spending pegged at $1.3B

Guam Delegate Bordallo emphasizes her position against forced land acquisition for the buildup

By Amritha Alladi • Pacific Daily News aalladi@guampdn.com • February 5, 2010

President Obama has proposed $566 million for military construction projects on Guam as part of his fiscal 2011 defense spending budget.

But that's only a portion of the money set aside for Guam, according to Guam Department of Labor chief economist Gary Hiles, who said the Defense Department's draft Environmental Impact Statement has cited an overall assumed value of military contracts for 2011 is over $1.3 billion, including Japan's share of costs.

"It should be noted that there are other sources of funds for the buildup plans including Japan government appropriations and non-appropriated Japan financing. There also could be projects funded from other defense budgets so U.S. (military contract) appropriations do not provide the entire picture for Guam construction," Hiles said.

'Fact-finding team'

This, just as Japan plans to send a "fact-finding team" to Guam on Feb. 10 as part of a mission by Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to compile a list of possible relocation sites for the Marine Corps Futenma Air station, the Stars and Stripes reported yesterday.

The relocation of the base to northern Okinawa is part of a 2006 agreement between Japan and the United States, and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in October he didn't see the Guam buildup materializing unless Japan and the United States come to an agreement on the Futenma issue.

Since he was elected last year, Hatoyama has been seesawing between going forward with the current relocation plan to move Futenma to northern Okinawa, or to opt for an alternate site -- possibly Guam-- by the end of May.

But whether Guam will receive more than the 8,000 Marines already scheduled to arrive by 2014 is only one of several looming concerns Guam residents have regarding the buildup.

Eminent domain

On Wednesday, Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo reiterated to leaders in Washington, D.C., her position against the use eminent of domain for acquisition of non-Defense Department lands for military buildup projects on Guam, a release from her office stated.

Bordallo, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Fiscal 2011 defense budget, addressed Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She suggested they look into building within their existing land on Guam.

Bordallo also shared concerns raised by members of the community at recent town hall meetings regarding the Defense Department's draft Environmental Impact Statement--specifically the aircraft carrier berthing and the potential damage to coral reefs during the dredging process, according to the release.

Gates, according to Bordallo, responded the Department of Defense would work with Guam stakeholders to "have transparency and for (Department of Defense) to take into account the views of the people of Guam," according to the release. Bordallo stated that Mullen and Gates agreed the buildup must be done right.

Army fast ships

Speaking in response to media reports that Guam may also see an increased military presence by way of a dozen Army fast ships that can carry about 300 troops per ship, Sen. Judith Guthertz yesterday raised several questions, among them: when the addition of these forces would occur, where they would be sited and why this project wasn't included within the Defense Department's document that Guam residents are currently reviewing.

Japan to propose possible locations for Futenma move

Japan to propose possible locations for Futenma move

By David Allen, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Friday, February 5, 2010

GINOWAN, Okinawa — A list of possible relocation sites for Marine Corps Air Station Futenma will be compiled by the end of March, Japanese officials announced Tuesday night.

The deadline was announced by the special committee formed to review the 2006 pact with the U.S. that calls for moving Marine air operations to a new air facility on Camp Schwab, in rural northeast Okinawa. The committee is examining alternate sites both on and outside Okinawa.

The proposed alternates also include Guam. Under the pact, both sides agreed that some 8,600 Marines on Okinawa would be relocated to the U.S. territorial island once Futenma operations could be moved to Camp Schwab.

The committee said it will send a "fact-finding team" to Guam Feb. 10 at the request of the Social Democratic Party, one of the two minority parties in Japan’s new left-center government.

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is committed to deciding whether to go forward with the current relocation plan or opt for an alternate site by the end of May. His government remains fractured on the issue, with the SDP threatening to leave the coalition if an Okinawa site is selected.

And one high-ranking official, Foreign Minister Katuya Okada, suggested that MCAS Futenma, located in the middle of urban Ginowan, would have to continue operations indefinitely if no suitable alternate site is found.

Following Tuesday’s meeting, Tomoko Abe, a senior member of the committee, said the Japanese government needed to be united in opposing the Camp Schwab plan. She criticized comments made by some ministers casting doubt on finding an alternate site.

"It’s as if a doctor told a patient before the operation that he was going to die," said Abe, a medical doctor and head of policymaking advisory board of Social Democratic Party.

"The key for a successful operation is for the doctor to show his willingness to fight with his patient against the illness," she said in a comment posted on her Web site. "The comments by the ministers lack in empathy and warmth to people of Okinawa."

Meanwhile, the U.S.-Japan Security Subcommittee also met in Tokyo on Tuesday, where U.S. officials told their Japanese counterparts that the 2006 agreement to move Futenma operations to Camp Schwab was still the "best" option.

Stars and Stripes reporter Chiyomi Sumida contributed to this report.

Japan contingent to visit Guam

Japan contingent to visit Guam

Posted: Feb 03, 2010 7:01 PM PST
by Mindy Aguon

Guam - A fact-finding team from Japan is expected to visit the island next week as a special committee, formed to review a pact between Japan and the United States, is compiling a list of possible relocation sites for the Futenma air base. The status of forces agreement provides for the relocation of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to the territory once Futenma is moved to Camp Schwab in Northwest Okinawa.

The special committee though, according to the Stars and Stripes, will send a special team to the island on February 10 at the request of the Social Democratic Party. But Japan Deputy Consulate Seisuke Shimizu says the trip has not been officially confirmed yet. Japan's defense minister, Toshimi Kitizawa, visited the island in December and said he felt it would be "impossible" to have the air base on the island

Japan has announced that it doesn't intend to make a decision on the replacement facility until May.