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2011 February 16 - 22 [POLITICS]

I’ve changed my views on US military presence in Japan: PM Kan to JCP Akamine

Japanese Communist Party representative Akamine Seiken on February 16 at a Lower House Budget Committee meeting highlighted the 180-degree change in Prime Minister Kan Naoto’s views on the U.S. military presence in Japan.

Taking up the recent statement, “U.S. Marines’ deterrent was just an expedient excuse,” made by former Prime Minister Hatoyama Yokio, Akamine commented, “It was jaw dropping to hear that the decision whether or not to impose another military base on Okinawans was made so lightly.”

Akamine asked present Prime Minister Kan Naoto for his comment on his predecessor’s latest remark.

Kan replied, “Hatotama’s understanding differs from mine. I believe that the U.S. military presence in Japan, including the Marines, is playing a significant role in maintaining the peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.”

To Kan, who was stressing the significance of the U.S. Marines just like a Liberal Democratic Party stalwart, Akamine said, “When your party was still an opposition party, you made statements denying the deterrent effect of the U.S. Marines. In your book, you criticize successive prime ministers for making phone calls to U.S. presidents right after taking office to demonstrate Japan’s loyalty to the United States. You also state in the book that a DPJ-led government, if inaugurated, will directly challenge the United States to seriously consider withdrawing its troops from Okinawa.”

Akamine pointed out that on the second day after Kan became the prime minister, he promised on the hotline to U.S. President Barack Obama to implement the Japan-U.S. agreement on moving the Futenma base to Henoko in Okinawa’s Nago City.

Akamine went on to say, “What you are doing is completely opposite to what you were saying before. Did you change your views completely after your party took power?”

Kan responded, “I have changed. I changed my views in accordance with changes in the international situation.”

Akamine stated, “Your phrasing, ‘in accordance with changes in the international situation,’ is just an afterthought and also an expedient excuse. The DPJ was calling for Japan-U.S. ties on an equal footing. You should request the United States to remove the Futenma base unconditionally from Okinawa.”

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Former Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio, in an interview with the Ryukyu Shimpo on February 13, admitted to the fact that he had stressed the “deterrent role” of the U.S. Marines in Okinawa to justify his party breaking its promise to move the U.S. Futenma base out of Okinawa and that the “deterrent role” was just an “expedient excuse”.