JCP criticizes government for agreeing to use tax money for U.S. global war policy in disregard of people's threatened livelihoods

Japan Press Weekly

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

JCP criticizes government for agreeing to use tax money for U.S. global war policy in disregard of people's threatened livelihoods

The Japanese Communist Party, in a published statement on February 17 by Koike Akira, JCP Policy Commission chair, criticized the Japan-U.S. agreement signed on the same day by Japanese Foreign Minister Nakasone Hirofumi and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to further the 'realignment of U.S. forces in Japan." Below is the translation of the text:

Japanese Foreign Minister Nakasone Hirofumi and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on February 17 agreed to further strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance and signed the agreement concerning the implementation of 'realignment of U.S. forces in Japan" that includes the construction of new U.S. military facilities in Okinawa as well as the 'relocation' of a part of Okinawa-based U.S. Marines to Guam.

This is an agreement intended to upgrade the final report on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan as agreed upon at the Security Consultative Committee (SCC) in May 2006 (the so-called Japan-U.S. roadmap for the implementation of the realignment of U.S. forces) to a legally binding instrument.

With opposition to the ongoing strengthening of the functions of U.S. bases in Japan growing throughout the country and a sense of crisis reportedly arising in the United States over the implementation of the military realignment, the U.S. Obama administration and the Japanese Aso government have agreed to bulldoze through the agreement that was made between Japan under the Koizumi government and the United States under the Bush administration. This is why the Japanese Communist Party strongly criticizes the "Guam Agreement."

Japan under the Koizumi government and the United States under the George W. Bush administration transformed the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty regime into a "global alliance" for aggressive purposes. Under the name of "transformation and realignment" they worked together to strengthen the U.S. military bases in Japan and deepen the integration of the U.S. forces and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. The U.S. military realignment was aimed at incorporating Japan into the Bush administration's global preemptive war strategy. It is a scheme to strengthen the function and mobility of command and control for overseas expedition (strike) force throughout the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, which has nothing to do with Japan's defense. Thus, Japan is being turned into a major stepping stone for intervention abroad with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces participating.

U.S. President Obama in his inaugural address criticized the former Bush administration for its unilateralism, saying, "America is a friend of each nation, and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity." If he is true to his word, the U.S. president should listen to Japanese people opposing the scheme to strengthen and perpetuate U.S. bases in Japan.

If the U.S. Obama administration follows in the Bush administration's steps in further militarization on a global scale in defiance of public opposition, it will disappoint and anger those people who had expectations for "change" to be brought about by the new U.S. administration.

The Guam Agreement reaffirms that Japan will provide six billion dollars to develop facilities and infrastructure on Guam to enable the III MEF [Marine Expedition Force] relocation and that the relocation "is dependent on Japan's financial contributions to fund development of required facilities and infrastructure on Guam."

It doesn't stand to reason that Japan should shoulder the cost of constructing U.S. military facilities on U.S. territory. The Guam 'relocation' of U.S. Marines is a major reinforcement of U.S. bases, the aim being to deploy U.S. marines throughout the world and to combine their operation with the U.S. Navy and Air Force.

Japanese and U.S. authorities have made clear that Japan is going to pay about three trillion yen for the cost of the U.S. military realignment in Japan, including the cost related to the USMC Guam 'relocation.'

It must be noted, however, that this plan was agreed upon at a time when Japan is adversely affected by the international economic crisis, which is of a magnitude that breaks out once in 100 years, when massive dismissals of workers and cutbacks in social programs are under way, threatening the lives and livelihoods of many. Under these circumstances, it is irresponsible to use such a huge amount of tax money to give assistance to the global militaristic strategy of the United States.

The JCP will continue to firmly oppose these plans to strengthen and perpetuate the functions of U.S. military bases under the name of "U.S. military realignment" and join forces with broad sections of people to work for a peaceful Japan free of military bases.

- Akahata, February 18, 2009