 U.S. wants its forces in Japan to command global wars Japan and the United States are discussing a plan to relocate the U.S. 1st Army Corps to Camp Zama near Tokyo from Washington State as part of plans for U.S. military realignment in Japan. The First Army Corps is a rapid response force that can participate in operations in Iraq in addition to the Asia-Pacific region and the Indian Ocean. Akahata of October 28 reported on the real aim of the relocation plan and problems involved in it. Quick preemptive attack As part of an extensive review of the U.S. defense posture throughout the world, the Bush administration is planning to realign its military bases in Japan. The August 16 White House fact sheet states, "Operations in Afghanistan -- and the global war on terror more broadly -- brought to the forefront the need to conduct a strategy-based review of our global defense posture." Under the pretext of a "war on terror", the United States is consolidating a setup that can fully and promptly carry out its preemptive attack strategy to defend its "vital interests". Testifying at the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee hearing on June 23, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J. Feith stated, "In Asia, our ideas build upon our current ground, air, and naval access in Central, Northeast, and Southeast Asia to overcome the vast distances." The U.S. military is also trying to improve its ability in Asia through "strengthened long-range strike capabilities" and "streamlined and consolidated headquarters" (White House fact sheet, August 16, 2004). The biggest "centerpiece" of the realignment plan is transfer of the First Army Corps command function to Camp Zama, Japan. Core of U.S. Pacific Command The First Army Corps has its HQ at the U.S. Army Fort Lewis base in Washington state, with about 20,000 active-duty soldiers as well as an equal number of U.S. Army Reserve and the National Guard soldiers based in all states. This is why it has the nickname "American Corps". At the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in March 1999, the commanding general of the First Army Corps testified that it is "a U.S. Pacific Command major operational headquarters". He also said that it is "designated as a standing Joint Task Force for theater-wide contingencies" with "the 7th Fleet in Yokosuka, Japan, and the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan". He added that the First Army Corps is a stepping-stone for the U.S. Pacific Command that covers regions from the Asia-Pacific to the Indian Ocean and the east coast of Africa. Two maneuver brigades of the First Army Corps are equipped with state-of-the-art armored fighting vehicles called "Strikers" that can be easily transported by smaller transport aircraft. Designated as "Striker brigades fighting teams", these brigades are rapidly deployed to any place in the world and are capable of going into combat at anytime. They are now in Iraq in rotation with other units of the First Corps. Relocating the First Army Corps to Japan means that the HQ that commands brigades for making global strikes will come to Japan for a mission that has nothing to do with the "defense of Japan". U.S. Forces in Japan will come under the command of the 1st Army Corps Japan already has the 5th Air Force at the U.S. Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, in addition to the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force and the Navy's 7th Fleet. If the First Army Corps is transferred to Japan, all four frontal commands of army, navy, air force, and marines will be concentrated in Japan. Worse still, all four U.S. forces in Japan will be under the command of the First Army Corps, and its commander will be promoted to commanding general from the present status of lieutenant general. The present Command of the U.S. Forces in Japan at Yokota Air Base is only an administrative organization in charge of implementing relevant Japan-U.S. agreements, administering and managing U.S. bases in Japan, and directing Japan-U.S. joint exercises. The commander is a lieutenant general. If the First Corps is moved to Camp Zama, the Commander of the U.S. Forces in Japan will be on an equal rank with commanders of U.S. theater Joint Task Forces, including the U.S. Pacific, Central, and European commands, and the Command of the U.S. Forces in Japan will be a consolidated command in order to conduct U.S. global military operations. The 'Far East' clause The Japan-U.S. Security Treaty provides that the United States is "granted the use by its land, air and naval forces of facilities and areas in Japan" for the purpose of contributing to the "security of Japan and the maintenance of international peace and security in the Far East" (Article 6). This is the so-called "Far East clause". U.S. forces stationed in Japan have often disregarded this restriction to attack Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, literally on a global scale. If the U.S. First Army Corps commands the four U.S. forces in Japan for wars in any place in the world, it will go beyond the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty provisions. The Japanese government says the relocation of the First Army Corps would be in compliance with the arrangements under the Security Treaty and that there is no plan to review the "Far East clause" at this point. (end) |