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Forcing local residents to endure even more hardships in order to strengthen preemptive attack capabilities
Akahata editorial

The Japanese government is rushing to give shape to a plan for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. forces in Japan to share SDF bases in line with the "interim report" on the Japan-U.S. alliance agreed upon in October. The government is trying hard to persuade local municipalities hosting SDF bases to accept plans to relocate U.S. force units and exercises.

Although the use of SDF bases by the U.S. Forces is currently limited, the co-use plan in the "interim report" will give the U.S. Forces a full access to SDF facilities.

Without guarantee to 'reduce local residents' burdens'

The "interim report" proposes relocating mid-air refueling aircraft KC130 from the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture to the Maritime SDF Kanoya Base in Kagoshima Prefecture. It also calls for the Air SDF Nyutabaru Base in Miyazaki Prefecture and the SDF Tsuiki Base in Fukushima Prefecture to be used by U.S. forces in the event of "emergencies". It also recognizes all SDF bases as possible sites for relocation of U.S. aircraft units.

The cases of co-use of SDF facilities, mostly exercise fields, by the SDF and U.S. forces under the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (Article 2, Paragraph 4-b) rapidly increased after the 1980s in response to the U.S. forces having difficulty in building new bases and also necessity of saving on expenditures.

The ASDF Nyutabaru base (Miyazaki Pref.), Chitose Base (Hokkaido Pref.), Misawa Base (Aomori Pref.), Komatsu base (Ishikawa Pref.), Tsuiki base (Fukuoka Pref.), and Hyakuri base (Ibaraki Pref.) are currently shared by the SDF and the U.S. forces. However, the U.S. forces are allowed to use those bases only for joint exercises with the SDF. They must not use SDF facilities more than 4 times or 4 weeks a year, and for only two weeks at a time. Those limitations were imposed because the Japanese government could not give the U.S. forces that are involved in overseas operations full access to SDF bases, which are supposed to be used for the "defense of Japan."

In the interim report, with the use of SDF bases for the permanent deployment of U.S. aircraft and for action in an emergency and the relocation of U.S. exercises from Okinawa to mainland Japan, the U.S. presumably seeks to make SDF bases always available to the USFJ. Dissatisfied with the present co-use system that limits U.S. operations, the U.S. government is eager to make changes to give the USFJ total access to Air Self-Defense Force bases.

Although these changes raise new questions that contradict the Status of U.S. Forces in Japan Agreement (SOFA) and the Japanese government's stated views on the USFJ's activities, the government is unilaterally imposing the co-use plan on local municipalities and residents without explanation.

Contrary to the government argument justifying the co-use of SDF bases as a way to "reduce burdens on Okinawa," this plan will only spread Okinawans' burdens to all of Japan. No matter what the outcome may be, the co-use plan will allow U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force fighters to continue to stay in Okinawa while constructing a new base there and enhancing the capabilities of military bases throughout Japan. How can Okinawans' burdens be "reduced?" This is why Okinawans are strongly opposing the "interim report."

Rebuffing the plan, local governments and residents are saying, "Why must we cooperate with U.S. forces?" They are anxious about increases in noise pollution and possible crashes. They are aware that their local areas will be used as forward deployment bases for wars in Iraq or elsewhere. They are rejecting the presence of U.S. forces that kill innocent people in unjustifiable wars.

It goes against Article 9 of the Constitution

The U.S. Forces in Japan are ready to take action anywhere in the world once the U.S. launches a preemptive war. It is for this reason that the U.S. plans to transform and realign U.S. bases in Japan, including the use of SDF bases.

However, allowing U.S. forces to use SDF bases to increase their attack capabilities cannot be compatible with Article 9 of the Constitution. Only settling the matter in pursuit of the constitutional principles of peace can we maintain the peace.
-Akahata, December 3, 2005