 Yamato City Assembly says 'No' to U.S. aircraft carrier's homeporting at Yokosuka The Yamato City Assembly in Kanagawa Prefecture on March 24 adopted a unanimous resolution calling for the Japan-U.S. arrangement allowing the homeporting of U.S. aircraft carriers at Port Yokosuka to be withdrawn. The citizens of densely populated Yamato have been suffering from the noise of frequent flights as well as night landing practices at the U.S. Atsugi Naval Air Station by U.S. warplanes from Yokosuka-based carriers. "Ever since Yokosuka Port became the homeport of U.S. aircraft carriers in 1973, Yamato citizens have been forced to endure terrible noise pollution and sometimes the crashes of aircraft and helicopters," the resolution stresses. Concerning the planned deployment in 2008 at Yokosuka of the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to replace the conventional aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, "Both the Japanese and the U.S. governments insist that no decision has been made." "However," the resolution states, "citizens will not be safe unless Yokosuka cease to be used as U.S. aircraft carrier's homeport." "Taking advantage of the planned decommission of the U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, both governments should revoke the privilege of homeporting of U.S. aircraft carriers at Yokosuka," the City Assembly demands. (end) |