Japan Press Weekly
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New association established in Tokyo to consider U.S. Yokota Air Base issue
Residents of cities near the U.S. Yokota Air Base in Tokyofs western outskirts on April 12 established an gAssociation to Think about the Issue of the U.S. Yokota Baseh to solve the noise pollution and other problems caused by the base.
They are also calling for opposition to the ongoing realignment of U.S. forces in Japan as well as the Japan-U.S. military realignment.
About 100 people, mostly from five nearby cities and one town, took part in the start-up meeting in Akishima City.
Enomoto Shinfichi, former chief of the lawyersf group for the U.S. Yokota Air Base noise pollution lawsuit, was elected as representative director.
Handa Shigeru of the daily Tokyo Shimbun, in his commemorative speech stated that the aim of the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan is to enhance the efficiency of U.S. bases in Japan as a stepping-stone for wars abroad.
He said that the advocates of constitutional revision want the Japan Self-Defense Forces to wage wars outside of Japan together with U.S. forces.
One of the sponsors stated, gCitizens who have long been disturbed by noise pollution caused by U.S. military aircraft at the Yokota base are called upon to voice their opposition to the plan to permanently use the base to meet the needs of the eJapan-U.S. alliancef.h
As part of the USFJ realignment and consolidation, the Air SDFfs Air Defense Command (ADC) will relocate from Fuchu City in Tokyo to Yokota in FY 2010, to operate with the 5th Air Force Headquarters, leading to the strengthening of their ginteroperabilityh in emergencies.
A bilateral, joint operations coordination center (BJOCC) is to be established at the base in accordance with the gUnited States-Japan Roadmap for Realignment Implementation,h the aim being to ginclude a collocated air and missile defense coordination functionh in the functions of the BJOCC.
Also, a Detachment 1, 13th Air Force, assigned to command air operations in the whole Asia-Pacific region was deployed at Yokota AB. - Akahata, April 13, 2008
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