Posted on 02/21/2010 5:07:19 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The top U.S. Marine in the Pacific said on Friday that his forces needed to be based on the southern island of Okinawa for strategic reasons, as Tokyo struggles to resolve a dispute with Washington over relocating a base. The relocation of the Futenma Marine base on Okinawa is at the center of a feud between Washington and Tokyo that is eroding support for Japan's governing Democratic Party and setting its coalition partners at odds ahead of an election expected in July.
"Okinawa is in the perfect place in the region," said Lieutenant General Keith Stalder, when asked about suggestions that the base be moved to Guam or the tiny island of Tinian.
"It's literally a day away from almost anything that can occur in the region," he said during a visit to Tokyo.
Stalder underscored the U.S. view that a 2006 agreement between the two governments to shift the Futenma base to a more remote area of Okinawa as part of a realignment that involves moving 8,000 Marines to Guam was the most desirable option.
But he said shifting all Japan-based Marines elsewhere would not be feasible.
"The notion that you can have an alliance and deter and respond with only sea and air forces is a misperception that I want to dispel," he said. "You've got to have ground forces."
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said before toppling a long-ruling conservative party in a general election last year that the base should be moved out of the region, sparking a row that threatened to undermine ties with the United States.
The Democratic Party needs to win a majority in the upper house poll to end its reliance on an awkward coalition with two smaller parties. A poor result could even result in policy gridlock.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I’ve only just passed through Okinawa back in the 60s. It was still our property then. As far as I am concerned, we won that island with U.S. blood and treasure and it never should’ve been returned to Japan. Nobody ever asked for MY vote on that subject.
Well, if they get too disagreeable we can always do what we did the last time they got disagreeable. Plenty more cities to glass than just Hiroshima.
Saipan would most likely love the additional income from the base personnel.
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