Japan Pushes Realignment

FRIDAY, 21 OCTOBER 2011 01:05 AP from MVAriety.com

TOKYO (AP) – Japan is stepping up efforts ahead of new U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's visit next week to break a stalemate over the relocation of a Marine base that has stalled the restructuring of U.S. military forces in Asia.

Moving the base is an essential step in Washington's big-picture plan to reposition about 8,000 Marines from the southern Japanese island of Okinawa to the tiny U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, which is set to become a crucial regional hub for the U.S. Marines, Air Force and Navy.

Senior Japanese leaders have held repeated meetings in recent weeks with top politicians on Okinawa to seek their cooperation in moving the base – Marine Corps Air Station Futenma – to a less-crowded area of the island.

Japan is hoping to compile an environmental impact assessment by the end of the year.

But after a meeting with Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba on Wednesday, the mayor of the proposed relocation site angrily rebuffed Tokyo's pleas for support, saying there was "absolutely no room for negotiation."

Okinawa's governor, who must sign off on the plan for it to be implemented, suggested other options be pursued and told Genba it will not work unless the Okinawans support it.

The standoff has long been a sore point in Japan's otherwise strong military alliance with the United States.

Though they welcome the transfer of Marines to Guam, Okinawan leaders do not support the construction of a replacement facility within their prefecture (state). They say Okinawa already bears too much of a hosting burden and instead want Futenma closed and its successor built elsewhere in Japan or moved overseas.

Setting the tone for the Panetta trip, U.S. Senator Jim Webb – an outspoken critic of the current plan – said the issue should not be allowed to fester.

"Our failure to resolve the issue of American bases on Okinawa has resulted in a volatile political debate in Japan, the implications of which should not be underestimated by American leaders," he said in a letter to Panetta released by his office.

Webb, who is chairman of the East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said "it is in our national interest that this matter be resolved both quickly and smartly."

Washington is Tokyo's most important ally, and Japan has agreed to contribute several billion dollars to pay for the move.

Japan hosts about 50,000 U.S. troops under a post-World War II mutual security pact and relies heavily on the U.S. forces to counterbalance potential threats from China, Russia and North Korea.

But more than half of the troops are concentrated on Okinawa. About one-fifth of the island is taken up by U.S. bases.

Local opposition to the bases is strong because of concerns over crowding, safety and troop-related crime. Okinawans are also wary of the military presence because of their bitter memories of World War II.

Futenma is seen by many as a symbol of the problems caused by the bases. The plan to close Futenma, which is in a particularly crowded area, came up after the rape of an Okinawan schoolgirl by three servicemen caused a huge uproar on the island in 1995.

Noda Urged To Act on Futenma, Guam Agreement

FRIDAY, 09 SEPTEMBER 2011 02:57 BY JANELA BUHAIN | VARIETY NEWS STAFF

IF NEW Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda does not advocate for the implementation of the 2006 bilateral agreement with the U.S., the military buildup on Guam could cease to transpire, research analysts recently reported.

A research report written Aug. 30 by Bruce Klingner, senior research fellow for Northeast Asia, and Dr. Derek Scissors, research fellow in Asia economic policy in the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation, states that Noda must not ignore Japan’s pressing security issues in light of China’s growing assertiveness.

Instead, Noda must bolster his relations with the U.S. and emphasize his position on national security if a military buildup on Guam is to pull through, the analysts said.

“Noda should move behind mere words of support to actually making progress toward building the Futenma Replacement Facility (FRF) in Okinawa,” the two wrote. “Failure to do so would make proposed U.S. Senate funding cuts to required construction on Guam more likely, thus jeopardizing the entire Guam agreement.”

Several U.S. senators have proposed to reduce military spending overseas, including Guam. One senator proposed to ax the entire Guam military buildup. In his “Back in Black” proposal, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-OK, said the 8,000 marines and their 9,000 dependents could be maintained in the U.S. mainland instead of on Guam.

“Washington should press Tokyo to fully implement the Guam agreement. The U.S. should emphasize that redeployment of 8,000 marines to Guam and return of U.S. bases to local control is dependent on the construction of a replacement airfield on Okinawa,” the analysts maintained.

Klingner and Scissors acknowledged that Noda faces a daunting task of reforming the Japan government following the downfall of former Japan Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

The two criticized Kan for his inability to overcome partisan bickering between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Japan, and for losing his grip on a country torn apart by multiple natural disasters.

The analysts said Noda must move the tsunami-ravaged country toward living within its means, and identify necessary spending cuts. But, they said, he must make good on Japan’s long-term obligations.

“Noda must emphasize to Okinawa that Japanese national security and Asian peace and stability must trump local convenience. Tokyo should make clear that Japanese expenditures for Okinawan development (which are up for renewal) are conditional on FRF relocation. Non-compliance by Okinawa could result in reductions in Japanese subsidies,” they wrote.

U.S. senator open to suggestions from Japan on military base issue

U.S. senator open to suggestions from Japan on military base issue

Feb 15 06:19 AM US/Eastern

(AP) - TOKYO, Feb. 15 (Kyodo) — Visiting U.S. Sen. Jim Webb said Monday he is "open to listening to all the suggestions" from the Japanese government on the issue of where to relocate a U.S. military airfield in the southernmost Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs also said there could be "a number of practical options" on the issue, but noted he has no intention to recommend that the functions of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station be relocated outside of Okinawa.

"There are ways that the American military could be readjusted, but they also have to be able to perform their mission," Webb, who spent time on Okinawa as a U.S. Marine during the Vietnam War and revisited the island in the 1970s as a defense planner, said at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo.

Following a historic change of government in September, the new Japanese government and the ruling parties are exploring an alternative to an existing plan agreed on between Tokyo and Washington in 2006 to move the Futemma facility in Ginowan to a less densely populated city in Okinawa.

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 that is considering the issue, which are likely to include Guam or an idea to integrate the Futemma functions with the nearby U.S. Kadena Air Base in Okinawa.

But prospects remain unclear on whether the proposals would lead the Japanese government to settle the issue by the end of May as it has pledged, given that both ideas have been floated in the past but have been seen as difficult to realize.

Webb did not elaborate on what he called "practical options," but added, "I do believe that we must find a solution on the Futemma issue for the well-being of the citizens in that area."

"And I am open to listening to all the suggestions from the Japanese government and also from the people of Okinawa," he said, while noting that the base issue should be resolved in a way that both Japan and the United States "feel comfortable."

The United States has pressed Japan to implement the existing relocation plan on the grounds that it is the only viable option. The Futemma relocation is part of a broader 2006 bilateral agreement on the reconfiguration of U.S. forces in Japan, which took years to reach.

Separately, Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada told Webb in a meeting at the Foreign Ministry that the Japanese government would like to hold discussions with the U.S. government on the Futemma issue before reaching a conclusion in May, according to the ministry's press release.

Webb was quoted as telling Okada that the Japan-U.S. ties are strong enough to overcome specific problems and that he believes the conclusion on the issue, no matter what it may be, would be desirable for both countries, it said.

During his visit to Japan, Webb also plans to go to Okinawa. He will also visit Guam, where the transfer of about 8,000 Marines from Okinawa is planned under the 2006 Japan-U.S. agreement.

Touching on the issue of massive Toyota vehicle recalls, Webb said at the Japan National Press Club that it is a "business issue" and would not affect the bilateral ties from a political viewpoint.

Guthertz: Slow buildup pace

Guthertz: Slow buildup pace

By Dionesis Tamondong • Pacific Daily News • January 29, 2010

The relocation of Marines to Guam should be stretched out over eight years instead of two, and the military should consider shifting half of those troops to the Northern Marianas, said Democratic Sen. Judith Guthertz.

The senator made these recommendations as part of her comments to the draft Environmental Impact Statement, which details the Department of Defense's buildup plans and the potential impacts.

"The people of Guam are beginning to realize that the proposed relocation to Guam is too large and too quick for Guam's governmental services and infrastructure to adapt," said Guthertz, chairwoman of the Committee on the Guam Military Buildup, during a press conference yesterday.

Gov. Felix Camacho yesterday said he shares the idea of extending the buildup deadline. He said he's written a letter to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus requesting a delay in the buildup.

"The extension of the overall buildup deadline will greatly impact every area of public concern. It will lessen the pressure currently being placed on our people to accommodate a significant influx in our population," the governor said in an e-mail.

Guthertz also urged the reduction of the number of Marines to Guam by half.

She recommended relocating the First Marine Aircraft Wing, an aviation command, from Futenma to Tinian and Aguijan, also known as Goat Island -- a move supported by their respective mayors.

If this happens, the military can transfer about half of the 8,652 Marines intended for Guam from Okinawa's infantry bases to the vacated Futenma facilities.

The Joint Guam Program Office, which is coordinating the buildup on Guam, didn't respond to Guthertz's specific proposals.

"We have forwarded her comments to the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific for inclusion in the Final Environmental Impact Statement," JGPO spokesman Capt. Neil Ruggiero said.

Guthertz said her proposals would alleviate the concerns on Guam and Okinawa, and shift some of the economic investments badly needed in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Okinawa base still a go, admiral says

Okinawa base still a go, admiral says

By Gregg K. Kakesako
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 27, 2010

The election of an Okinawa mayor who opposes relocation of a U.S. Marine air base to his city will not affect a 1996 deal to realign U.S. forces in Japan, says the top U.S. commander in the Pacific.

On Sunday, Susumu Inamine was elected mayor of Nago, where Camp Schwab, a Marine base, is located in northern Okinawa. Inamine opposes the plan negotiated by the administration of former President Bill Clinton that set aside Schwab as the replacement for Futenma, the current home of all Marine helicopters and air crews assigned to Okinawa.

"I don't think this should be regarded as a setback," said Adm. Robert Willard, who leads all U.S. military forces in Pacific.

He said yesterday he believes the relationship between Japanese and U.S. leaders is "growing stronger" as this year marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S.-Japanese alliance.

Futenma is in the urban center of Ginowan, a city in southern Okinawa where a Marine helicopter crashed in August 2004 on the campus of a university adjacent to the base.

"I think we have a good amount of work to do to reinforce to the Japanese people, to the extent we can, why we are there," he said.

Willard said that the relationship between Japan and the United States is "a cornerstone alliance" in Asia. "It's important that we take this opportunity this year to share that message with the people of Japan who we are aligned with and the rest of the people in the region."

Willard said the Obama administration is still getting acquainted with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who was elected last summer, on promises to move U.S. bases off Okinawa or out of Japan. The victory of Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan in August ended a half-century of control by the Liberal Democratic Party. Under pressure from President Barack Obama, Hatoyama has said he will decide by May whether he will support the 1996 plan.

Inamine's victory is seen as a victory for opponents of the 1996 plan and a litmus test of public opinion on Okinawa. Almost half of the 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan are assigned to Okinawa.

For operational purposes, Willard said, helicopters and air crews need to be near the Marine forces stationed on Okinawa.

"Very simply, the Marines require attendant air capability with their force lay-down in Okinawa. The Futenma replacement facility to date is the single best option for achieving that. That is what we are trying to explain to the Japanese people."

Willard, in his first news conference since taking command in October, also said:

» Negotiations are under way with North Korea to send recovery teams from the Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command at Hickam Air Force Base to resume the search stopped in 2005 for soldiers killed in the Korean War.

» He has been invited to China this year, along with Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

01:30:00 a.m. Wednesday January 27, 2010 in Pacific/Honolulu converts to
09:30:00 p.m. Wednesday January 27, 2010 in Pacific/Guam

The Impasse over U.S. Bases on Okinawa

The Impasse over U.S. Bases on Okinawa

By Nicholas Szechenyi
Jan 26, 2010

Q1: How did this impasse come about?
A1: In 2006, the United States and Japan reached an agreement on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, including the relocation of U.S. forces on the island of Okinawa. The latter involved a package to transfer 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam and thereby reduce the burden of the U.S. troop presence on Okinawa residents. The package included a plan to close the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station at Futenma, located in an urban area in central Okinawa, and build a replacement facility in a less populated area on the northern end of the island near the town of Nago. In February 2009, the United States and Japan signed an agreement formally authorizing the Guam transfer and the construction of a replacement facility for Futenma. But Japan’s new prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, had pledged to reexamine the agreement during an election campaign last summer and felt obligated to put the realignment process on hold after taking office last fall. The Obama administration has stated its desire to implement the agreement as soon as possible but resigned itself to the new government’s review of the issue.

Q2: What is behind the decision of the Japanese government to review the agreement?

A2: Last August, Hatoyama and his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) engineered a landslide victory in elections for the Lower House of Japan’s Diet (parliament) and formed a coalition government with two smaller parties whose support he needs to pass a budget in the current legislative session and deliver votes in Upper House elections this summer. One of the coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), opposes the relocation plan for Futenma and insists the base be moved outside Japan. Last month the SDP threatened to quit the ruling coalition if the government did not support its position, a testament to the complicated domestic political calculations surrounding this issue. On a broader level, the decision to review the agreement arguably stems from a desire by the DPJ to distance itself from the policies of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which until last summer had ruled nearly uninterrupted since 1955.

Q3: Where do things stand now?
A3: The Hatoyama government floated various alternatives to the current relocation plan for Futenma before announcing in December that a decision would be postponed until May of this year, after consultations with coalition partners. On January 24 the residents of Nago, a small town of approximately 60,000, elected a mayor who opposes the current agreement and vows to prevent the new facility from being built there. Prime Minister Hatoyama has repeatedly stressed the need to hear the concerns of Okinawa residents, and the outcome of the Nago mayoral election could therefore factor into his decisionmaking. A panel established by the central government continues to study the Futenma issue.

Q4: How about Japanese public opinion?
A4: A poll published by the Yomiuri newspaper on January 11 found 44 percent of the public in favor of the existing relocation plan for Futenma, with 30 percent suggesting it be moved out of the country and 13 percent wanting it moved out of Okinawa prefecture. A December 21 Mainichi newspaper survey revealed 51 percent of the public disapproved of Prime Minister Hatoyama’s announcement to delay a decision on the Okinawa base issue.

Q5: How engaged are the U.S. and Japanese governments?
A5: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada in Hawaii on January 12 and reiterated the conviction that the existing agreement is the best way forward but that the United States respects the process undertaken by the Hatoyama government. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell will lead a delegation to Japan in early February to continue consultations on this issue.

Q6: Could this have an impact on U.S.-Japan relations?

A6: January 19 marked the 50th anniversary of the signing of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, in which the United States committed to defend Japan in exchange for U.S. access to bases for the maintenance of peace and security in the Far East. The security alliance is a core pillar of the bilateral relationship, and it is important that the Futenma issue be resolved so that the two governments can move forward. Until the Hatoyama government finally decides how it wants to proceed, observers are left wondering whether the current impasse is merely a product of complicated domestic politics in Japan or a preview of fundamental disagreements that could introduce a period of uncertainty in U.S.-Japan relations.

Nicholas Szechenyi is deputy director and fellow with the Office of the Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

Japan’s dilly-dally, Guam’s opportunity

Japan’s dilly-dally, Guam’s opportunity

Wednesday, 27 January 2010 05:32
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff

WITH the recent declaration made by Nago Okinawa Prefecure mayor-elect Susumu Inamine about his opposition to having U.S. bases in Okinawa, Guam gets the opportunity to be included in the new discussions between Japan and the United States regarding Marines’ relocation plan, Sen. Judith Guthretz said yesterday.

The chair of the legislative committee on military buildup explained that the election of anti-U.S. base candidate Inamine earlier this month has virtually ended the possibility of relocating the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, as previously agreed upon in a bilateral accord between the U.S. and Japan.

“This change in leadership in Okinawa is an opportunity for the United States to finally address the concerns of the island community with regard to the impending military buildup,” Guthertz said.

Possible voiding
She added that the dynamics of Japan’s current political landscape gives credence to the probability of a delay or nullification of the accord and the proposed relocation of Marines to Guam because of the movement of the Futenma Marine contingent to Nago.

Japan Prime Minister Hatoyama has seemingly acquiesced to Inamine’s view stating that “The country will start from scratch on this issue and take responsibility.”

Moreover, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has stated that without the move from Futenma there will be no move to Guam.

Guthertz explained that it just makes sense to include the concerns of the people of Guam who will absorb the entirety of the buildup impact. During the initial discussion on the proposed buildup Guam was totally ignored, she said.

Workable approach

Guthertz explained that this is not a workable approach and noted that this sentiment is reflected in the current fallout of support for the buildup as the island citizenry reacts to the draft environment impact statement.

“It is becoming more and more apparent among the people of Guam that the proposed buildup is for too many too soon, and is coming too quickly,” said Guthertz. “In Guam, the public sentiment for the buildup is rapidly shifting from positive to negative as the details in the [draft study] are being understood.

Guthertz offers an alternative to the U.S. government via a comment paper in response to the draft study. She will dub her paper, “Stretching and Spreading the Buildup,” over a over a more manageable and acceptable timeframe.

Guthertz cited a prior commitment made by then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney in 1990 pledging that the Pentagon would conduct prior consultations with the government of Guam regarding any desired change in the military footprint in Guam.

The Pentagon is breaking that solemn promise, she said. “No discussions were held with the Government of Guam prior to the determination of the relocation of Marines, and Guam had no input on the size or speed of the buildup.”
Attention

“We have never been told who and what determined that the relocation would be for 8,652 Marines, and this is wrong! The people of Guam must be heard, there must be collaboration in this process with our island community,” she added.

She said if neither the U.S. federal government nor the government of Japan agrees fund local needs, Guam “will end up in the disastrous situation of having two Guams: a first-world Guam inside the military fences, and third-world Guam outside the fences.”

Guthertz wants to be part of Japan/US talks

Guthertz wants to be part of Japan/US talks

Posted: Jan 26, 2010 6:34 PM
Updated: Jan 28, 2010 3:33 PM

by Nick Delgado

Guam - Committee Chair on the Military Buildup senator Judith Guthertz says she wants Guam to be part of the discussions between Japan and the United States when it comes to planning the Marine relocation from Okinawa to Guam.

Guthertz says she will offer an alternative to the U.S. government on Wednesday in response to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement calling it, "Stretching and Spreading the Buildup," over a more manageable and acceptable timeframe. In her statement, Senator Guthertz cites a prior commitment from then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney pledging that the Pentagon would conduct prior consultations with the Government of Guam regarding any desired change in the military footprint in Guam.

Guthertz believes the Pentagon is breaking that solemn promise, as she states no discussions were held with the GovGuam prior to the determination of the relocation of Marines, and Guam had no input on the size or speed of the buildup. "We have never been told who and what determined that the relocation would be for 8,652 Marines, and this is wrong! The people of Guam must be heard, there must be collaboration in this process with our island community."

Guthertz says the buildup is for too many too soon, "If either our federal government or the government of Japan does not fund our local needs, we will end up in the disastrous situation of having two Guam's: a first-world Guam inside the military fences, and third-world Guam outside the fences."

Another buildup snag

Another buildup snag

Tuesday, 26 January 2010 05:25
by Romeo Carlos | Variety News Staff

Okinawa vote heralds roadblock for Marines move

AT AN early morning breakfast meeting with a group of visiting Japanese and local businessmen news of an election in Okinawa Sunday colored discussions over a planned military-related project funded by the Japanese government.

In yet another setback to plans for transferring 8,000 Marines from Japan to Guam which was set to begin this year, voters in Okinawa elected a mayor on Sunday who campaigned on a promise to oppose the relocation of the Futenma Air Base to Nago from a more crowded part of the southern Japanese island.

“This only complicates things further,” a Japanese representative for a group of contractors preparing ahead of a major construction project to the breakfast workgroup. Like others at the table he asked not to be identified for this story because of the sensitive nature of ongoing talks.

Voters in the Okinawa city of Nago have amped up the pressure on Japan's left-leaning government to nix a 2006 agreement with the U.S. about the base by choosing challenger Susumu Inamine - who campaigned against any expansion of U.S. military presence in the area - over incumbent mayor Yoshikazu Shimabukuro.

Rising concern

“There are real concerns,” said a manpower expert from the Philippines at the morning meeting. “Stringent regulations mean up to six months time to plan for labor recruitment but contractors are shy about committing resources right now, when they should be finalizing things because they are afraid of being stuck too far out if this keeps dragging on like this.”

The leader of the Japanese team of businessmen told Variety, "Our contractors are very nervous because the investments at stake are very large," he said, adding that a lengthy delay could increase the costs of buildup projects by millions.

"We already have projects on the table that will move forward, even with this delay. After that however is questionable," the nervous contractors' representative said. He questioned, "If at the last minute we have the green light the question will be ‘will we have the time to get things ready on Guam and how much will the delay add to project costs?’ These things are going to have to be factored."

Another official associated with the visiting business group said he expected their project activity to create between 160 and 200 local nonconstruction jobs as they begin operations on Guam later this year - that is if things stay on track.

But he and his colleagues fear timelines will have to be pushed back as much as up to 14 months if Tokyo ultimately allows the Marines air force base to move to Nago.

Washington officials have repeatedly said, despite counter claims by officials at the Joint Guam Program Office, calling off the agreement would end plans to transfer the marines and their dependents to Guam.

Economic activity

With a stagnant tourism industry and little else bringing in revenue to the government of Guam, the island is in sore need of the infusion of multibillion dollar construction projects to stir economic activity.

Even without significant measures to assure the government, local businesses and residents capture a greater portion of the windfall that will flow through Guam, government coffers stand to surge by more than $100 million per year.

Moreover, in the event Tokyo and Washington leadership is unable to arrive at an agreement over what to do about the controversial air base it may lead to years of dialog to renegotiate the entire matter, and leaving Guam on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure costs meant to support the demands of increased military presence on the island.

But if the planned buildup tarries much longer or simply never materializes the longterm debt implications are likely to have a worse impact on the island’s future than the planned militarization ever would.

Clinton to talk bases, security on Pacific swing

Clinton to talk bases, security on Pacific swing

Andrew Quinn
WASHINGTON
Mon Jan 11, 2010 1:06am EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton heads to the South Pacific this week, working to boost key U.S. alliances while pressing Japan to resolve a damaging dispute over a critical U.S. military base.

Clinton's nine-day trip will start in Hawaii -- where she will meet Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada on Tuesday -- and proceed to Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand, all of which have warm links with the Obama administration.

China is not on the itinerary, but will nevertheless be on the agenda as President Barack Obama's top diplomat seeks to assess how old U.S. allies are grappling with Beijing's growing economic and military might in the region.

"Any major power in the western Asia Pacific region is wrestling with the rise of China: what that means for its own politics, its own foreign policy, its own economy," said Michael O'Hanlon, a security expert at Washington's Brookings Institution.

"Each one has its own potential weaknesses or vulnerabilities or limits."

President Obama, on his own Asian tour in October, described himself as "America's first Pacific president" and Clinton has signaled she will put a priority on mapping out the future of Asia-Pacific ties.

The shifting dynamic has been clear in Japan, where Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's government is in a dispute with Washington over relocating the Marines' Futenma base in Okinawa -- a concrete example of the U.S.-Japan security alliance which marks its 50th anniversary this month.

Hatoyama's new Democratic Party government has sought to strike a more independent foreign policy and is stalling on plans to relocate the Futenma base on Okinawa island, frustrating Washington.

U.S. officials say Clinton will press Okada to pledge to uphold a 2006 plan to move the base to a less crowded part of Okinawa -- rather than off the island entirely as many Okinawans demand -- although few are expecting any immediate breakthroughs.

"We just hope that they can come to some resolution on this as quickly as possible so that we can get back on track," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters.

ENVIRONMENT, TRADE -- AND AFGHANISTAN

Clinton will also give a speech on U.S. Asia-Pacific policy before going to Papua New Guinea, where she will highlight environmental issues as the Obama administration keeps a focus on climate change after last month's rocky Copenhagen summit.

Clinton's next two stops in New Zealand and Australia should be easier, although the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, nuclear and trade issues will all be on the table along with frank discussions about China and the deadlock over Iran's nuclear program, analysts say.

In New Zealand, Clinton will meet Prime Minister John Key on Friday to cement ties with his center-right government whose victory in 2008 ended nine years of Labour Party leaders who often struck an anti-American tone.

New Zealand is particularly keen that Washington put muscle behind talks on the "Transpacific Partnership" free trade pact, which would group the United States, New Zealand, Vietnam, Brunei, Australia, Singapore, Chile and Peru.

In Australia, Clinton will meet Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Sunday before joining U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates for an annual meeting with their Australian counterparts likely to feature discussions of the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.

There are about 1,500 Australian troops in Afghanistan, the biggest non-NATO contingent in the war against Taliban extremists. Washington is pushing allies to contribute more to match its own deployment of 30,000 new troops, but Australia is unlikely to increase its military presence there.

"I don't detect any appetite in the government for increasing the troop contribution, and it doesn't appear that anybody in Washington is manhandling them," Australian political analyst Michael Fullilove of Sydney's Lowy Institute said in an interview.

Policy chief pitches alternative Futenma plan

Policy chief pitches alternative Futenma plan

By Chiyomi Sumida, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Thursday, January 7, 2010

NAHA, Okinawa — Transferring 23 F-15 fighter jets from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, to Misawa Air Base in mainland Japan would free up room for operations at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to be moved to Kadena, according to a proposal pitched Tuesday by the policy chief of one of the two junior partners of Japan’s coalition government.

Mikio Shimoji, a New People’s Party representative and a senior member of a subcommittee set up to find a settlement on the relocation issue, said his party’s plan included moving training normally conducted at Kadena to mainland Japan.

Sending the visiting aircraft to train at Kansai Airport in Osaka, as well as using Ie-Shima island and the Higashi Fuji training ground for Marine helicopter exercises, will greatly reduce the noise that is a frequent complaint of Okinawans, Shimoji told reporters at his campaign office.

On Camp Schwab, meanwhile, helipads would be built instead of runways, Shimoji said.

“Additionally,” he said, “if the United States wishes, Futenma air station can remain under U.S. military control for contingency purposes,” which would allow the Okinawan landowners to continue to receive rent from the U.S. military.

The subcommittee, set up by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama last month after he set a deadline of May to reach a formal agreement with the U.S. on Futenma, will forward its plan to Hatoyama “by the end of January,” Shimoji said.

The subcommittee still has some work to do. Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the other junior coalition partner, insists on moving the operations outside Okinawa, possibly to Guam.

Hatoyama said last month after the delay announcement that he would seek a solution that would be acceptable for both Okinawa residents and the United States. Meanwhile, the United States maintains its stance that the present plan to move Futenma operations to Camp Schwab as agreed in 2006 is the only viable option.

“If Kansai Airport and Higashi Fuji become available for the military to use as training sites, it would be an added value for the military,” Shimoji said.

Relocating the Futenma operations within Okinawa is the most realistic and feasible solution, he stressed.

“This is a now-or-never chance for Okinawa to remarkably reduce the presence of the military on the island,” he said.

Marines’ relocation faces delay

Marines’ relocation faces delay

Thursday, 17 December 2009 05:17 by Foster Klug | Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP)-- The United States is expressing discomfort that Japan is delaying relocation of a major U.S. military base even as it signals a willingness to be patient with the country's new government.

Part of the plan also involves moving about 8,000 Marines and their families from Okinawa to Guam by 2014, but the U.S. military says that plan cannot move forward until Futenma's replacement facility is completed.

Gen. James Conway, the U.S. Marine Corps commandant, told reporters he had not been informed about the delay. But, he said, "at this point, it sounds like it's more and more up in the air, which is unfortunate."

"The Futenma replacement facility is absolutely vital to the defense that we provide for the entire region," Conway said.

Conway said questions have arisen about whether the move to Guam could be done by 2014. "Any delay at this point only puts that date, I think, in greater doubt," he said.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley offered a more muted response when asked about U.S. frustration with Japan.

"The Japanese government has indicated to us that they'd like a little more time to work through these issues, and we're happy to oblige them," Crowley told reporters. But, he added, U.S.-Japan talks would not be "an indefinite conversation."

U.S. lawmakers have approved $300 million for the current fiscal year for the relocation of the Marines to Guam, and the overall bill is awaiting Obama's expected signature into law.

Despite widespread frustration over Japan's backtracking on a signed agreement, Washington is giving Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama some time to get his footing in the aftermath of elections that threw out a party that had ruled Japan for most of the post-World War II era. That patience has its limits, however, as U.S. officials indicated Tuesday after Hatoyama said Japan needs several more months to decide on the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on the southern island of Okinawa.

Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee and President Barack Obama's rival in the 2008 presidential race, spoke of the need to act urgently.

"American troops in Japan are a force of stability in Asia," McCain said at a Washington think tank. "I hope we can work out these negotiations as quickly as possible, since there is questioning throughout Asia as to what exactly the U.S.-Japanese relationship will be in light of the new government of Japan."

Editorial :: Apathy

Editorial :: Apathy

Tuesday, 15 December 2009 00:17
Marianas Variety

GUAM has been out of the loop since the United States and Japan began planning the relocation of Marines from Okinawa. The community depends on trickles of information that usually come from international wires or the Japanese media. The latest of these shrouded pieces of information has to do with the possibility of transferring the entire Marine Corp in Futenma Station to Guam.

During a courtesy call with Camacho in Adelup, Japanese Minister of Defense Toshimi Kitazawa confirmed that a proposal to shut down Futenma and move all U.S. military installations to Guam had been presented as an option but no solid decision has been reached.

Guam is a tiny island and the possibility of 20,000 more troops, plus their dependents, moving into our small and generally quiet community is beyond imaginable. We are not talking about the landmass issue; we are talking about the very limited capacity for a population overgrowth.

In one of the rare instances in which he actually took a position on a critical issue, the typically neutral governor indicated he would oppose any relocation plan bigger than what was originally planned.

As Camacho clearly pointed out during his meeting with Kitazawa, “We are already challenged with the present numbers of the relocation of 8,000 Marines, and moving the entire Futenma base would not be possible due to our limited resources.”

We can’t dispute that argument, which even Kitazawa agreed with. Economists and social scientists agree that every community’s capacity for growth has its own bounds.

Those who have interests in the military expansion—which includes the government and the business community—happily sought the deployment of 8,000 Marines to Guam.

For Guam, the deepening deadlock in the negotiations between the United States and Japan is cliffhanger that leaves us wondering what’s in store for us.

What is even more unfortunate is the apparent apathy and resignation the community has thus far exhibited. Most people fence-sit, without even bothering to read—or at least try to do so—the draft environmental impact statement and assess how the military buildup would affect the quality of life on Guam.

On Saturday, the Bureau of Plans and Statistics hosted the Natural Resources Expo at the GPO to offer information and provide a venue for the public to express their concerns. Not even 10 people showed up, prompting organizers to halt the event an hour earlier.

One person interviewed by Variety expressed an utter lack of interest, saying “They pay people lots of money to worry about it, so I am not going to.”

Another person said, “They gave us an 11,000-page document which we cannot read; so there is no point because the military buildup is a done deal.”

Apparently, many in the community have resigned themselves to the notion that Guam is nothing but a mere pawn in a game between powerful governments. But by refusing to participate in charting our fate, we are turning such presumption into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Guam News Factor - December 14, 2009

High Hospital Salaries In Question At Guam Memorial
Are high hospital salaries partly to blame for supply shortages at Guam Memorial? Do the hospitals highest paid staffers really have the tools they need to do all the work they were hired for? Perhaps its time to review whether staff pay reflects the services GMH is capable ofand use excess pay to catch up on overdue drug bills.

Japan Prime Minister Turns Down Okinawa-Guam Transfer Deal
Japan Prime Minister Hatoyama rejects a US deal to speed the Okinawa-Guam transfer. Concessions on environmental protections at US bases in Okinawa and removing military drills from the prefecture just arent enough. Coalition-government partners still want a Marine Corps air base out of Okinawa. And that could hold up Guams buildup.

Watchdogs Warn Central Bankers Against Guam Remittance Scheme
The Philippine Central Banks stated projections on big remittances from Guams future buildup could be aiding illegal recruiters. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reports watchdogs are warning the national bank that syndicates use the misleading info to entice jobless Filipinos with empty promises of high wages.

Will Student Aid Shortfall Hurt Guam?
The federal governments need-based Pell Grant fund for college students: short 18 billion dollars. Enrollment spikes fueled by a demand for qualifications in a job-starved economy and new lax regs on qualifications may be causes. The Factor still awaiting word on how this might affect University of Guam students.

Camacho says no to Futenma

Camacho says no to Futenma

Kitazawa convinced Guam can’t support more troops

Thursday, 10 December 2009 04:45 by Mar-Vic Cagurangan | Variety News Staff

GOVERNOR Felix P. Camacho indicated yesterday he will oppose any plan to transfer all U.S. military installations from Okinawa to Guam, saying the island’s finite resources are already strained by the requirements entailing the relocation of 8,000 Marines.

During a courtesy call with Camacho in Adelup, Japanese Minister of Defense Toshimi Kitazawa confirmed that a proposal to shut down the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Station in Okinawa and transfer all U.S. military installations to Guam has been broached as an option but no solid decision has been made.

“Defense Minister Kitazawa assured me that this is an idea that has been presented but has yet to be addressed among their leadership in Japan. I appreciate his honesty in the matter, but I also wanted to make clear that as decisions are made, Guam’s resources and the welfare of our community must be kept in mind.” Camacho said.

“We are already challenged with the present numbers of the relocation of 8,000 Marines, and moving the entire Futenma base would not be possible due to our limited resources and capacity,” the governor added.

Guam is kept in suspense as the fate of the Futenma base remains in limbo while the United States and Japan try to break the escalating negotiation standoff.

“At this moment, we are continuing the discussion between the Japanese and the U.S. government and nothing has been decided yet,” Kitazawa told a press briefing at the Hyatt Regency Guam yesterday. “At this moment, all we can say is that the discussion is ongoing.”

Accurate grasp

Kitazawa toured Andersen Air Force Base, Naval Base Guam, and Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Guam yesterday. He leaves Guam today.

A press release from the Joint Guam Program Office said the visit has allowed Kitazawa to gain an accurate grasp of the situation on Guam and “to also see the proposed sites for development of facilities and infrastructure in support of the Marine Corps relocation as agreed to in the 2006 U.S.-Japan Roadmap agreement.”

“Defense Minister Kitazawa's visit is an important step in the process of carrying out agreements between the U.S. and Japan to realign forces in the Pacific," Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roger Natsuhara said.

During a press briefing, Kitazawa declined to state his observation of Guam facilities after the daylong tour.

“When I return to Tokyo, I will report the situation to the prime minister and other ministers,” the defense minister told reporters.

“However, at this moment, as the defense minister, I cannot say when we will see the result of the negotiation. Nothing can be reported until after the decision has been made.”

He expressed hopes, however, that the U.S. and Japan governments break the gridlock soon.

Very difficult

Nakaima Ikue, one of the reporters traveling with Kitazawa, told Guam reporters the defense minister is convinced the island doesn’t have the capacity to support additional troops.

“He thinks it will be very difficult for Guam to have more troops,” said Ikue, a Tokyo-based reporter for Ryukyu Shimpo, Okinawa’s largest daily newspaper. “Okinawa people want the U.S. bases to leave. I feel sorry for Guam because now they will get the problems of the Okinawa people.”

Uncertainty

The United States has been imposing pressure on Japan to stick to the 2006 pact, but speculation is now growing that a decision on the U.S. base issue will be stalled further until after next year's Upper House election. The Japanese media reported earlier that talks between the U.S. and Japan negotiators have been suspended.

The haze over the troop relocation plan is causing disquiet in the government of Guam and the business community which are thrilled by the revenue perks and economic promises of the military buildup.

But Camacho remains confident. “Japan’s commitment to move forward is evident in its $1 billion investment into the Marines’ relocation to Guam,” he said.

The governor also banks on a statement made by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates during his October visit to Japan, where he said.

“Our view is clear. The Futenma relocation facility is the lynchpin of the realignment road map. Without the Futenma realignment, the Futenma facility, 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.”

Governor Meets with Japan Minister of Defense

Governor Meets with Japan Minister of Defense

Guam-The Japanese Minister of Defense Toshimi Kitazawa paid a courtesy visit today to Governor Felix P. Camacho while in Guam to tour the island’s military installations.

Kitazawa told the governor that he decided to visit Guam in light of new leaderships in both Japan and the United States and to see for himself the location of the expected Marine transfer.

“As with any new leadership, a review and understanding of past policies and commitments is necessary to appropriately move forward, and I believe that was the basis of his visit,” said Gov. Camacho.

Although Kitazawa did not approach the idea of moving the U.S. Marine Corps air wing at Futenma base to Guam, Gov. Camacho asked for his opinion on the matter. Various news sources in Japan have cited talks of moving all military installations out of Japan.

“Defense Minister Kitazawa assured me that this is an idea that has been presented but has yet to be addressed among their leadership in Japan,” said Gov. Camacho. “I appreciate his honesty in the matter, but I also wanted to make clear that as decisions are made, Guam’s resources and the welfare of our community must be kept in mind. We are already challenged with the present numbers of the relocation of 8,000 Marines, and moving the entire Futenma base would not be possible due to our limited resources and capacity.”

As to whether or not the debate on the relocation of the Futenma base will delay buildup plans for Guam, Gov. Camacho referred to a statement made by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates during his visit to Japan in October 2009. Gates categorically said: “Our view is clear. The Futenma relocation facility is the lynchpin of the realignment road map. Without the Futenma realignment, the Futenma facility, 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.”

While reports indicate that Japan’s new leadership may be reconsidering its commitments in the accord between the United States and Japan, Gov. Camacho said, “Japan’s commitment to move forward is evident in its $1 billion investment into the Marines’ relocation to Guam.”

Kitazawa is scheduled to depart Guam tomorrow.

Written by :
News Release

Japan to decide soon on relocation plan for Marine Corps air base

Japan to decide soon on relocation plan for Marine Corps air base

Updated at 11:59 a.m., Monday, December 7, 2009
Yomiuri Shimbun

TOKYO — Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Monday said he would shortly convey to Washington his government's position on the issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture.

"It's about time the government finalized its stance on the relocation issue and relayed that information to the United States," Hatoyama said at the prime minister's official residence.

It is not known, however, what decision he will reach. Hatoyama has taken a cautious stance over the current plan — agreed upon by Japan and the United States after years of negotiations — to transfer the Futenma base in Ginowan to waters near the U.S. Marine Corps' Camp Schwab in Henoko, Nago, in the same prefecture.

The prime minister also has expressed his intention to delay a decision on the matter until next year. However, if Hatoyama informs Washington that this stance is the government's finalized position on how to deal with the matter, it most likely would widen the chasm with the United States, which has insisted that the current relocation plan be implemented, according to observers.

Hatoyama said he had discussed the issue with Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada when they met Sunday at his official residence.

Referring to the government's position on the current relocation plan, the prime minister said, "I acknowledge the United States' request that we carry out the plan, but it's not an easy issue that can be resolved quickly in view of the difficulties we face as a coalition government and the expectations of local people in Okinawa."

Hatoyama's remarks underlined the importance he places on weighing the opinions of the Social Democratic Party — one of his Democratic Party of Japan's two minor coalition partners — and the residents of Okinawa Prefecture. Both the SDP and the residents have been calling for the Futenma base to be relocated outside the prefecture or Japan.

Okada, meanwhile, met with U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos on Monday afternoon at his office, where they reportedly discussed the relocation issue.

During his meeting with Hatoyama on Sunday, Okada reportedly called on the prime minister to finalize the government's stance on the matter at an early date, while also reporting to him that the U.S. position remains unchanged.

In an effort to prevent the United States' sense of distrust from mounting, Hatoyama apparently has deemed it advisable to take a definite stance on the matter and convey this position to Washington before the end of this year, according to political analysts.

Given the fact that Hatoyama has referred to the difficulty of executing the current plan, it is thought he will reiterate this point when he conveys his stance on the issue to Washington.

Speaking at a news conference Monday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano echoed the prime minister's intention to decide on a definite position over the Futenma issue at an early date.

"The time has come for the government to finalize its stance on how to resolve the issue and to convey this to both the United States and the people of Okinawa Prefecture," Hirano said.