Okinawa’s local assembly protests against U.S. forces’ accidental dropping of bombs

Japan Press Weekly

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Okinawa’s local assembly protests against U.S. forces’ accidental dropping of bombs

Okinawa’s Kumejima Town Assembly on April 14 adopted a unanimous resolution protesting U.S. forces mistakenly dropping bombs outside of the designated training area.

On April 9, AV-8 Harrier fighter jets of the U.S. Marne Corps mistakenly dropped two bombs, about 250 kg each, into the sea during their training exercise at the U.S. Torishima range.

Pointing out that the bombs were dropped on a local fishing area, the resolution said, “The accident could have caused a major disaster. It deeply shocked fishers and gave them deep anxiety.”

The resolution demanded that the accident be thoroughly investigated. It states that further training exercises with U.S. military aircraft should not be held until the cause of the accident is established and made public. It also calls for preventive measures to be taken and U.S. bases and the presence of U.S. Marines to be reduced.

The Kumejima Town Assembly in the resolution strongly expressed its resentment against the latest accident that occurred despite the town’s repeated protests about similar incidents caused by the U.S. forces in the past.

The U.S. forces have so far caused a number of accidents during training exercises at the Torishima range, including the firing of depleted uranium shells (from December 1995 to January 1996), intimidation of local fishing boats by a U.S. helicopter during its low-altitude flight exercise (July 2002), and the emergency landing of a U.S. helicopter (May 2005).

- Akahata, April 15, 2008