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U.S. request for Aegis destroyer's visit to Sukumo Bay Port shows its intention to incorporate the Japanese port into its war strategy

Public criticism is increasing over the U.S. government request that U.S. Aegis destroyer Russell be allowed to visit Sukumo Bay Port in Kochi Prefecture. U.S. warships have never entered any ports in Kochi. The request, made at a time when the Bush administration is strengthening U.S. forces' global attack capability, shows its dangerous attempt to incorporate Sukumo Bay Port into its war strategy.

Nuclear-free certification is significant

It was in April that the U.S. government conveyed to Kochi Prefecture its intention to make the Russell visit to Sukumo Bay Port for four days from May 23. In accord with a resolution adopted by the Kochi Prefectural Assembly, the prefectural government sent a letter to the Japanese and U.S. governments asking if the Aegis destroyer carries nuclear weapons. No answer has been given.

The Russell belongs to an aircraft carrier battle group. Its main mission is to escort the aircraft carrier. But it is also tasked to carry out ground attacks, and for this reason it is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The U.S. government and the U.S. Forces stick to its "Neither Confirm Nor Deny" policy when it comes to the question of whether U.S. warships carry nuclear weapons. The only way to prevent U.S. warships from bringing nuclear weapons into Japanese ports is to require them to certify at their entry that they are nuclear-free. With the Bush administration stating in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) that the U.S. is "a nation engaged in what will be a long war," it is urgent to impose this requirement.

When the Japanese and U.S. governments concluded the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, they made a secret agreement that transit of nuclear weapons does not fall into the definition of actually bringing such weapons into Japan. This was revealed in declassified U.S. government documents obtained by the Japanese Communist Party. The U.S. warships should not be allowed to enter Japanese ports without proving that they are nuclear-free.

Intended to research port

One of the main purposes of U.S. warships' visits to civil ports in Japan is to examine if the are usable for U.S. warships. When entering those ports, U.S. warships conduct detailed research on them and make use of the data. The findings are compiled by the Pacific Fleet Intelligence Center for reference in case of emergency to figure out which ports are usable.

They check such items as port capabilities (number of berths, depth, and berthing capacity), tidal currents, climate, quays (length, depth, and number), refueling facilities, number of longshoremen, and supply of water. It also assesses medical facilities in the areas, food availability, restaurants and bars, and garbage disposal.

Because of its deep water-depth, Sukumo Bay Port has been so important that before WWII the Imperial Navy trained its fleets there. Equipped now with a quay capable of accommodating 40,000 ton-class vessels, the port will be reported as suitable for U.S. military vessels, a high-rating that may cause hardships on residents of the city as well as of the prefecture.

Bold U.S. demands

The U.S. forces are requesting the Japanese government to give them free access to Japan's civil seaports in the event of war.

In 2004, the Headquarters of the U.S. Forces in Japan submitted to the Japanese government their request listing 1,059 items in support of the U.S. forces to be engaged in military sanctions against North Korea on the grounds of North Korea's nuclear weapons development. A document prepared by the Self-Defense Forces' Joint Staff Council at the time stated that the civil ports the U.S. forces requested to use were Fukuoka, Mizushima, Matsuyama, Kobe, Osaka, and Nagoya. This has the serious implication that these ports will be dragged into military conflicts on the Korean Peninsula.

Calls by U.S. military vessels, particularly Aegis ships, at Japanese ports on the Pacific coast are also conspicuous. In February, Aegis Stetham called at Nagasaki Port and John S. McCain at Kagoshima Port, and in May, Cowpens called at Shimotsu Port in Wakayama Prefecture. In addition, the Mobile Bay will call at Shimizu Port in Shizuoka Prefecture to be followed by the Russell at Sukumo Bay Port.

To secure as many footholds as possible

Why are the U.S. forces reaching out now to Sukumo Bay Port? The QDR that the U.S. Department of Defense published in February regarded the ongoing developments in the Middle East and Central Asia as "in flux." It advises China to become "a responsible stakeholder" but expresses a sense of crisis, saying that China "could over time offset traditional U.S. traditional military advantages."

In pursuing a military strategy with such a viewpoint of the Asia-Pacific region, the U.S. forces aim at securing bases they have free access to the Pacific coast of Japan. They attach importance to securing ports particularly in the Kyushu and Shikoku regions because they want to have a grip on as many footholds as possible from which U.S. strike forces can be rapidly deployed anywhere in the world.

The U.S. military realignment is intended to establish a military posture for the U.S. forces to wage preemptive attacks in violation of the United Nations Charter. U.S. military vessels' calls at Sukumo Bay Port will lead to a path to ensure such a U.S. war-fighting setup.
- Akahata, May 19, 2006