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2011 February 16 - 22 TOP3 [FOREIGN POLICY]

In 1967, US had ideas of totally withdrawing bases from Okinawa

Part of the declassified diplomatic documents made public on February 18 shows that in 1967, the United States was studying the possibilities of relocating U.S. military bases from Okinawa to Guam.

Then U.S. Secretary to Japan Edwin O. Reischauer in a secret official telegram to the Japanese Foreign Ministry gave his opinion that it was theoretically possible for the United States to remove all its military facilities from Okinawa to Guam.

The telegram also contained a statement by a counselor of the U.S. Embassy, saying that if Japan was strongly determined to remove U.S. bases from Okinawa, the United States would be willing to accept this demand.

However, then Foreign Minister Miki Takeo stated in his memorandum to the U.S. ambassador that Japan is seeking Okinawa’s reversion to Japan with the continued presence of the U.S. military bases in Okinawa.