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Japan agrees to play new military role with U.S. forces

Japan has agreed to contribute "capabilities that are additional and complementary to those provided by the U.S. forces," while "taking the leading role of providing for its own defense."

This is the core part of the plan to realign the U.S. military in Japan agreed on at the October 29 Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee meeting in Washington attended by the Japanese foreign minister and state minister for defense, and the U.S. state and defense secretaries.

The interim report calls for "transforming" the Japan-U.S. military alliance and at the same time emphasizes the need for Japan's Self-Defense Forces to "complement" U.S. forces deployed globally to carry out the U.S. Bush administration's preemptive strike strategy.

The report includes the plan to set up joint Japan-U.S. headquarters (coordinating center for joint integrated operations) and co-use of both forces' bases in Japan toward ensuring two forces to launch global joint military operations through an overall review of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty.

As suggested by its title, "U.S.-Japan Alliance: Transformation and Realignment for the Future," this report is not simply focused on the issue of the relocation of U.S. military forces and their bases in Japan.

The report says that the U.S. Forces in Japan, including carrier strike groups, marine corps expeditionary units, and air expeditionary units will maintain and increase strike capabilities for their global operations. It also calls for "transforming and realigning" the SDF as supplementary forces to U.S. forces so that both forces can "strengthen overall alliance capabilities" and fully mobilize Japan's civil airports and seaports. All these are associated with the aim of establishing a Japan-U.S. joint military setup toward launching a global first strike.

Integration of both commands

The report puts emphasis on the planned integration of both forces' commands.

The report calls for establishing new commands of both forces in the U.S. Yokota Air Base in Tokyo and U.S. Army Camp Zama in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Both commands of the U.S. Navy 7th Fleet (carrier strike group) and the Maritime SDF have already been deployed to the U.S. Yokosuka Naval Base. Moreover, the report demands that the U.S. Air Force command commanding the U.S. Aerospace Expeditionary units and the Air SDF's command to be integrated at Yokota Air Base, and the U.S. Army in Japan command and the Ground SDF unit command exclusively assigned to overseas dispatch to be integrated at Camp Zama.

Japan and the United States also agreed that "the Headquarters, U.S. Forces Japan will establish a bilateral and joint operations coordination center at Yokota Air Base" where the U.S. Forces in Japan command is placed, a center which will be able to command the Japanese Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces.

Regarding that Japan's cooperation, including the deployment of SDF units ostensibly in support of the U.S. anti-terror retaliation in Afghanistan and the U.S. preemptive war on Iraq, as well as its participation in the Missile Defense program, are insufficient, the report urges Japan to drastically increase its cooperation with the U.S. by integrating commands of bilateral forces.

Increase in military bases

The U.S. government has said that reduction in Japanese people's burdens of U.S. bases depends on the SDF's effort to shoulder more responsibilities in place of the U.S. forces (Deputy Minister of the U.S. Defense Department Richard P. Lawless). If Japan wants to decrease its burdens of U.S. bases in Japan, it must increase "SDF's roles, missions, and capabilities," the report says.

To the contrary, the interim report is designed to transform SDF bases into U.S.-Japan co-use bases, far from decreasing U.S. bases in Japan.

The report stipulates that both forces must validate "their planning work through strengthened bilateral exercise programs" by carrying out U.S. Air Force exercises in all ASDF bases. Increased exercises will inevitably cause further noise pollution from aircraft noise across the country.

Concerning the need to respond to emergencies, U.S. forces will more freely use SDF bases, civil air- and sea-ports, and roads. The report says, "Both sides reconfirmed that the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation must be strong enough to be "consistent with relevant national security policies and laws, and with agreements between the U.S. and Japan."

Local opposition

According to the report, "The Ministers committed themselves to completing local coordination" and will "finalize these specific and interrelated initiatives and develop plans, including concrete implementation schedules no later than March 2006." However, there is no guarantee for this agreement to be promptly implemented.

This agreement, which allows the U.S. forces to continue to stay in Japan with their present strength, will only add heavier burdens on local governments hosting U.S. bases. This is why the Japanese government reached the agreement without making any prior consultations with local governments and peoples concerned, and without letting them know anything about the process of implementation.

However, strong indignation has arisen from among relevant local governments and residents against the realignment plan. The people do not consent to this agreement. -- Akahata, October 31, 2005