On Okinawa, trouble at home base

[SunWuKong]

On Okinawa, trouble at home base
By Kosuke Takahashi

TOKYO - The recent crash of a US military transport helicopter in a densely populated residential area near the United States Marine Corps Futenma Air Station on Okinawa in southernmost Japan is again arousing latent anti-American sentiment there. This presents more than public relations problems, since the strategic value of Okinawa cannot be overemphasized. The revived resentment comes as the US military strives to expand the global scope of its operations from Japan, South Korea and elsewhere in East Asia to the Middle East and the Indian Ocean in "war against terrorism".

Okinawa is home to 25,000 of the almost 40,000 US troops in Japan, excluding the Navy Seventh Fleet's 12,000 personnel, with their home port at Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture. It is considered part of a global forward base in the new US basing strategy. Reconciling the local demand to move the base with US strategic interests appears impossible at this time.

The mounting anti-base movement in Okinawa could eventually hurt Japan-US security arrangements, the centerpiece of the two countries' solid strategic relations, unless the two nations swiftly ease the burden of US military bases, long carried by the Okinawans alone. The return to Okinawa of the contentious Futenma Air Station could be one political feasible way for both governments to avoid aggravating the situation.

On September 8, 1951, Tokyo and Washington signed the Japan-US Security Treaty that has served as the cornerstone for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, and on which both nations have built a close security relationship.

"Okinawa has been the cornerstone for Japan's own safety and prosperity for years, firmly supporting the US-Japan security alliance," professor Haruo Shimada at Keio University in Tokyo and a special adviser to the Cabinet Office under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, told Asia Times Online. "Thus, to realize a society where the Okinawans can live feeling reassured, without any anxiety about their safety, itself contributes to the security partnership of Japan and the US." Shimada served from 1996 to 2000 as chairman of two committees created to study the domestic complexities and problems involving US bases on Okinawa, advisory groups to Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary.


more... (http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Japan/FI09Dh05.html)

[moser]

Is the pizza incident for real?
---------------------------------------------

A Crash, and the Scent of Pizzatocracy, Anger Okinawa

By JAMES BROOKE
Published: September 13, 2004

GINOWAN, Okinawa, Sept. 12 - For years, Okinawans have tolerated the deafening thud-thud of United States Marine Corps cargo helicopters over schools, playing fields and apartment buildings near the fence of one of the busiest military airfields of the Western Pacific.

Some shrugged when one helicopter spiraled from the sky on Aug. 13, banging into a university building, its rotor gouging a concrete wall, its fuselage exploding into an orange fireball. Miraculously for this congested city of 90,000, no one was killed, and the only people injured were the three American crew members.

But what really galvanized residents of this sultry tropical island were images of young American marines closing the crash site to Japanese police detectives, local political leaders and diplomats from Tokyo, but waving through pizza-delivery motorcycles.

One month after the crash, that fast-food delivery image - part truth, part urban myth - was strong enough to help to draw about 30,000 people on Sunday for the biggest anti-base protest in Okinawa since those a decade ago protesting the rape of a 12-year-old schoolgirl by three American servicemen.

In the sea of parasols, sun hats, balloons and banners, Chikako Oguma, a high school teacher, sat on the main soccer field of Okinawa International University. She said she had rummaged through her drawers to find an anti-United States protest shirt that she had not worn for years.

"At first when the accident happened, I did not get angry," Ms. Oguma said, shading herself under a parasol. "But then I learned that Japanese police could not enter the area. At that time I felt Okinawa is really occupied by the U.S., that it is not part of Japan."

"Tokyo doesn't care; Mr. Koizumi didn't come," she said, referring to Japan's prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi. "He was too busy last month watching the Olympic Games to see our governor. I feel a gap between Tokyo and here."

more... (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/13/international/asia/13japan.html)

[hooligan]

becuase they've got their priorities out of wack.

let's get our armed forces home, yeah? why the hell do they need to be there anyway, i don't see any terrorists out there.

[Filiprish]

It's too bad those people died in the helicopter crash. The accident didn't help US-Japan (Okinawan) relations.

I think the US should give the Okinawan people what they want. Japan is the second richest country in the world and I think it's about time it stops relying so much on the US. I don't fully understand how the US benefits from the US-Japan security alliance. Does Japan even give us, the US, money for our service to them?

Btw, hearing all this news about troops leaving Asia is strange b/c my sister and her soon-to-be husband, who's an Marines officer, are possibly getting stationed at Iwakuni.

[SunWuKong]

why the hell do they need to be there anyway

to contain China, of course. where do you think American troops will be coming from to defend Taiwan if China attacked?

[Filiprish]

to contain China, of course. where do you think American troops will be coming from to defend Taiwan if China attacked?
Why the hell does China care so much about Taiwan? It's just a dinky little island. China needs to get over itself.

[younggiftedandblack]

I think the US should give the Okinawan people what they want. Japan is the second richest country in the world and I think it's about time it stops relying so much on the US. I don't fully understand how the US benefits from the US-Japan security alliance. Does Japan even give us, the US, money for our service to them?

Okinawa at one point belonged to the U.S. and then was given back to Japan(1974 I think). Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Okinawa was once it's own independent country?? Anyway the U.S. trying to get Japan to build up it's military and take a more active role, but of course due to their history alot of people (including Japanese) don't want to see this happen. And yes the government of Japan contributes ALOT of money to the U.S. miltary. They pay for most of the infrastructure on the bases, and they pay the salaries of all Japanese Nationals who work on the bases.

Btw, hearing all this news about troops leaving Asia is strange b/c my sister and her soon-to-be husband, who's an Marines officer, are possibly getting stationed at Iwakuni.

Most of the troops being brought back to the U.S. are coming from Germany. The Air Force has however transfered alot of personnel to Guam.

[SunWuKong]

Why the hell does China care so much about Taiwan? It's just a dinky little island. China needs to get over itself.

that's a whole other discussion altogether.

Okinawa at one point belonged to the U.S. and then was given back to Japan(1974 I think). Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Okinawa was once it's own independent country?? Anyway the U.S. trying to get Japan to build up it's military and take a more active role, but of course due to their history alot of people (including Japanese) don't want to see this happen. And yes the government of Japan contributes ALOT of money to the U.S. miltary. They pay for most of the infrastructure on the bases, and they pay the salaries of all Japanese Nationals who work on the bases.

yes Okinawa was once independent, but Japan conquered it as far back as 1609. and yes, it was US territory from the end of WW2 until 1972.

[Filiprish]

Okinawa at one point belonged to the U.S. and then was given back to Japan(1974 I think). Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Okinawa was once it's own independent country?? Anyway the U.S. trying to get Japan to build up it's military and take a more active role, but of course due to their history alot of people (including Japanese) don't want to see this happen. And yes the government of Japan contributes ALOT of money to the U.S. miltary. They pay for most of the infrastructure on the bases, and they pay the salaries of all Japanese Nationals who work on the bases.
It's good to know that the US isn't completely subsidising the protection of Japan and that the US is pushing Japan to become miltarily independent.

that's a whole other discussion altogether.
Is there a thread on this.

yes Okinawa was once independent, but Japan conquered it as far back as 1609. and yes, it was US territory from the end of WW2 until 1972.
Looks like the US messed by giving Okinawa back to Japan.

[SunWuKong]

Is there a thread on this.

there have been multiple threads on that subject in the past, but to the best of my memory, nothing recently. you or anybody else are welcome to start a new thread on the subject if you like. or you can just try to dig up the old ones.

[truMp]

to contain China, of course. where do you think American troops will be coming from to defend Taiwan if China attacked?

trust me. the united states will NOT defend taiwan if China attacked the island.

US military strategy is whack; it ain't the cold war!

and if they want to contain terrorism, why not concentrate stationing your bases in southeast asia where the real trouble brews.

[younggiftedandblack]

trust me. the united states will NOT defend taiwan if China attacked the island.

US military strategy is whack; it ain't the cold war!

and if they want to contain terrorism, why not concentrate stationing your bases in southeast asia where the real trouble brews.

You can't just STICK a base anywhere you would like. There was talk about a year ago that we were trying to re-align and re-open some bases in Thailand and maybe Clark air base in the P.I. again. Not sure how true that is.

[Mr.Lum]

and if they want to contain terrorism, why not concentrate stationing your bases in southeast asia where the real trouble brews

They're not trying to contain terrorism. They're still trying to contain communism.

[truMp]

You can't just STICK a base anywhere you would like. There was talk about a year ago that we were trying to re-align and re-open some bases in Thailand and maybe Clark air base in the P.I. again. Not sure how true that is.

Weren't they actually closing down foreign bases and sending back all their troops back to the US to employ a new military strategy against terrorism? I forget the details.

They're still trying to contain communism.
I don't know whether youre saying they are REALLY still trying to contain communism or that their strategy is out-dated.

[younggiftedandblack]

Weren't they actually closing down foreign bases and sending back all their troops back to the US to employ a new military strategy against terrorism? I forget the details.

As I said to Filiprish most of those troops will be coming from Europe (mainly Germany).

[Mr.Lum]

I don't know whether youre saying they are REALLY still trying to contain communism or that their strategy is out-dated.

I personally think it is outdated and that we really need to stop medling in China's affairs. But, the reason for those troops is containment of communism, not terrorism.