 U.S. military helicopter crashes in OkinawaOn August 13, a U.S. military helicopter crashed at Okinawa International University in Ginowan City, Okinawa. Three crew members were injured. The U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station, where the crashed CH-53D helicopter took off, is located in a densely populated area in Ginowan City. Okinawa International University is situated next to the Futenma base. Japanese Communist Party Okinawa Prefectural Committee members led by House of Representative member Akamine Seiken on the next day made representations to the Foreign Ministry's Okinawa office urging the government to demand that the U.S. forces immediately halt all flights over populated areas and unconditionally return the Futenma base site to Japan. On August 16, U.S. forces removed the helicopter wreckage from the university campus and transported it to the Futenma base. Japanese police were not allowed to conduct an on-site investigation. In a meeting with Brig. Gen. James Flock, the U.S. marine base commander who visited the city office, Ginowan Mayor Iha Yoichi criticized the U.S. forces for barring Japanese police from investigating the crash site . Describing the chopper crash as "the worst accident ever", Iha expressed his opposition to the resumption of the flight drills and called for a return of the Futenma base site to Ginowan City. Flock said that U.S. forces would resume helicopter flights. Iha strongly protested to Flock over the decision to resume flights, saying, "It's unacceptable. It will draw strong opposition from all Okinawa residents as well as Ginowan residents." (end) |