military3

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Okinawa governor-defense chief agreement on new U.S. air base plan criticized

The agreement that Okinawa Governor Inamine Keiichi concluded on May 11 with Defense Agency Director General Nukaga Fukushiro concerning the construction of a new U.S. Marine Corps air base in Nago City, Okinawa, is under severe public criticism.

The five-point agreement between Inamine and Nukaga includes the government plan agreed on at the Japan-U.S. "2+2" meeting on May 1 to construct a USMC air base on the shoreline near U.S. Camp Schwab will be the basis for solving the main issue of relocating the USMC Futenma Air Station from Ginowan City.

Inamine later explained that his agreement with Nukaga does not mean that he has accepted the plan to constructing two V-shaped runways.

Ginowan Mayor Iha Yoichi criticized the government argument that the new air base, if constructed, will remove the danger of possible accidents of Futenma-based aircraft, stating, "The dangerous situation due to a military air base existing in the city must be removed without delay without linking it to relocating the USMC Futenma Air Station to Nago. After all, the governor's agreement will fail as was the case with the previous government plan to construct an on-sea U.S. base off the Henoko district of Nago City."

"I am sure that the plan to construct a new U.S. air base will face strong resistance from prefectural people, including ecologists, while leaving the 'danger from the Futenma base' unsolved," Iha added.

Concerning the governor-defense chief agreement, The Okinawa Times editorially stated on May 12, "The governor must not be made a fool of by the government!" Quoting recent public opinion survey findings that 71 percent of the respondents expressed opposition to the shoreline base plan, the editorial told the governor, "Don't turn your back on the public will."

The Ryukyu Shimpo, another Okinawan newspaper, ran an editorial arguing that given the Japan-U.S. agreement concerning Okinawa does not help reducing Okinawa's burden, the governor's agreement is tantamount to supporting Nago's new U.S. base plan.
- Akahata, May 13, 2006