feb2

End noise pollution, end home-porting for U.S. forces -- Akahata editorial, February 2 (excerpts)

It has recently been learned that the government is planning to construct a military base on an island in the Inland Sea off Hiroshima Prefecture for night landing practices by jet fighters from U.S. aircraft carriers.

Damage expanded

The touch-and-go exercises at U.S. Atsugi Base in Kanagawa Prefecture carried out by aircraft from U.S. aircraft carriers causes unbearable suffering on residents, including tremendous noise and the danger of accidents. The government plan to build a new base means expanding such damage to the Inland Sea of Japan.

The roar of U.S. military aircraft at Atsugi Base affects surrounding municipalities 15 to 20 kilometers away.

If a base with a more than 2,000 meter-long runway is built on the island, the damage will affect vast areas including urban districts of Hiroshima and neighboring Yamaguchi prefectures.

Citizens call for an end to damage from U.S. military aircraft, wherever it may be.

Construction of a new base does not end the damage in residential areas around Atsugi Base. Increased bases will give the U.S. Forces a wider choice, but do not guarantee an end to the damage.

As long as the government allows the U.S. Forces to use Yokosuka Port as the home port for U.S. aircraft carriers, the suffering of residents will persist.

The U.S. Forces intend to replace present aircraft carriers with large-scale nuclear-powered aircraft carriers five years from now. There will be the danger of nuclear contamination as well as increased damages from training exercises.

Constructing another new base for the U.S. Forces in Japan means increasing the number of bases from which the U.S. forces take action in its interventionist wars abroad. In fact, U.S. forces departing Japan have killed and injured many innocent people in remote countries.

Government must keep its word

The use of Yokosuka Port as the home port for U.S. aircraft carriers was imposed on Japan in 1973 when the government accepted the use for "three years, maybe" (Foreign Ministry North American Affairs Bureau director-general at the time).

The commander of the U.S. Forces at the Atsugi base had promised not to conduct touch-and-go exercises in compliance with their promise to local municipalities. The U.S. Forces, however, have broken the promise and the exercises go on to date.

If the government rejects the use of the port as the home-port for U.S. aircraft carriers, both the touch-and-go exercises by day and by night as well as the hazardous low-altitude flight training all over Japan will cease to exist. (end)