US Marines in Okinawa is forward-based assault force, not ‘deterrence’ force
August 14, 2016
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2016 August 10 - 16 TOP3 [POLITICS]
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The Abe government is removing local protesters by force and speeding up the construction of U.S. military helipads in the Takae district in Higashi Village, Okinawa Prefecture. The government is also trying to construct a new U.S. base in Nago’s Henoko district. Both facilities will be used by U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys which have vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. What kinds of flight training exercises are Ospreys in Okinawa conducting?
“Marine Corps riflemen stormed the area, neutralized multiple hostiles, and captured a landing strip for incoming cargo planes”, said a report which was published on August 1 by the Defense Video Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS), a website operated by the U.S. military as part of its media relations measures. The report is about a “long-range airfield seizure exercise” which was joined by Ospreys stationed at the USMC Futenma Base in Ginowan City in Okinawa Prefecture.
This exercise took place on July 20. It seems that the Ospreys, along with U.S. Air Force special operations aircraft, were loaded with marines at the USMC Iwakuni base (Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture). Then they flew to Iejima Island in Okinawa Prefecture to carry out drills under the war game scenario of attacking an enemy airfield at a U.S. military facility on the island.
The participating marines belong to 2nd Battalion 2nd Marines stationed at the USMC Base Camp Lejeune (North Carolina). Regarding the airfield seizure drills, the battalion commander said, “It’s important to have these exercises to maintain our lethality,” according to another DVIDS report dated July 21.
The commander also stressed that these exercises “will prepare the battalion for its follow-on deployment to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force next year.” In response to an Akahata inquiry, the PR section of the battalion admitted that the task force is planned to be sent to Africa.
The Japanese government insists that the U.S. Marine Corps in Okinawa plays a role as a “deterrence force”. However, what they are actually doing is not to protect Japan, but to strengthen its assault capability to be used worldwide. Despite this fact, Tokyo is pressing Okinawans to accept new U.S. military facilities which will support the Marines’ global assault function. Such a politically irresponsible stance is totally unacceptable.
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