U.S. nuclear-powered subs with nuclear certification visited Japan during 1998-2000

Ten nuclear-powered attack submarines of the U.S. Pacific Fleet with nuclear certification have made calls at Japan's ports.

Niihara Shoji, special researcher of the Association for a Non-Nuclear Government, revealed this on Nov. 30 based on a U.S. Navy internal document at a symposium held by the association in Tokyo.

According to Niihara, of the U.S. nuclear-powered attack submarines belonging to the Commander of the Submarine Force of the U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC) in Hawaii, ten were attested with nuclear certification from January 1998 to May 2000, and visited the U.S. naval ports in Japan: Yokosuka in Kanagawa, Sasebo in Nagasaki, and White Beach in Okinawa.

Niihara obtained the internal document through a report by Hans M. Kristensen, Senior Security Program Officer of the Nautilus Institute. The names of the ten Los Angeles class submarines are the Bremerton, La Jolla, Portsmouth, San Francisco, Houston, Buffalo, Salt Lake City, Olympia, Honolulu, and Key West.

Every year, these U.S. submarines have made visits to Japan's ports as part of rotation operations in the West Pacific.

In September 1991, the U.S. government announced a policy of withdrawing its tactical nuclear weapons deployed overseas, but allows them to be redeployed to attack submarines in case of emergencies. The Bush administration in the August Defense Report also referred to this policy.

Concerning the bringing-in of nuclear weapons by U.S. forces, Japanese Communist Party Central Committee Chair Fuwa Tetsuzo in the parliament has revealed secret promises made between the Japanese and the U.S. governments.

What Niihara brought to light arouses the suspicion that U.S. nuclear weapons have been brought into Japan's ports under the 'secret promises,' Akahata pointed out. (end)