okinawa

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Okinawa governor again kicks new U.S. base plan

In talks with Defense Agency Director General Nukaga Fukushiro on November 8 in Okinawa, Okinawa Governor Inamine Keiichi expressed opposition to the plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station to Nago City, which the Japanese and U.S. governments agreed on in late October.

After the talks held behind closed doors, Governor Inamine told reporters that most Okinawans seriously feel that the Futenma facility is so dangerous that it must immediately be dismantled and removed from the prefecture.

"I told the minister that the Futenma air base relocation issue is a priority issue in the ongoing U.S. military realignment in Japan," he added.

Nukaga said, "The governor showed a very harsh stance concerning the Futenma base relocation issue."

The issue is stated in the interim report on the realignment of the U.S. forces in Japan published by the Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee. -- Akahata, November 9, 2005