May 21, 2011
Without notifying a local government, the U.S. forces on May 20 went ahead with its parachute training exercises at the U.S. Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa.
The training was conducted at a time when a recently-emerged plan to integrate the U.S. Futenma base functions with the Kadena base raised concerns among residents near the base.
Maeda Masaaki, vice chair of the Japanese Communist Party Okinawa Assembly members’ group, said, “Carrying out the training is an affront to Okinawans. We condemn the U.S. forces for arrogantly conducting the training and the Japanese government for accepting the U.S. military’s arrogant behavior due to its blind loyalty to the United States. We demand a halt to the parachuting exercises.”
Chair of the Kadena Town Assembly special committee on base issues Tanaka Koei (JCP) said, “While Okinawans are expressing angry about the integration plan, the U.S. forces secretly conducted the drill. It is unacceptable.”
The U.S. forces’ statement said that it conducted the training at the Kadena base in order to complete its scheduled parachute drop training after being partially carried out at the training site of the Ie Jima Auxiliary Airport in Iejima Island, lying 9km off the Okinawa main island.
The training was conducted at a time when a recently-emerged plan to integrate the U.S. Futenma base functions with the Kadena base raised concerns among residents near the base.
Maeda Masaaki, vice chair of the Japanese Communist Party Okinawa Assembly members’ group, said, “Carrying out the training is an affront to Okinawans. We condemn the U.S. forces for arrogantly conducting the training and the Japanese government for accepting the U.S. military’s arrogant behavior due to its blind loyalty to the United States. We demand a halt to the parachuting exercises.”
Chair of the Kadena Town Assembly special committee on base issues Tanaka Koei (JCP) said, “While Okinawans are expressing angry about the integration plan, the U.S. forces secretly conducted the drill. It is unacceptable.”
The U.S. forces’ statement said that it conducted the training at the Kadena base in order to complete its scheduled parachute drop training after being partially carried out at the training site of the Ie Jima Auxiliary Airport in Iejima Island, lying 9km off the Okinawa main island.
