Japan, U.S. broadly agree to relocate Futemma base within Okinawa+

TOKYO, May 23 Kyodo -
Japan and the United States broadly agreed Saturday on a fresh accord expected
to be announced May 28 which effectively states that a key U.S. Marine Corps
base in Okinawa will be relocated to reclaimed land at Cape Henoko also in the
prefecture, which is on par with an existing Japan-U.S. plan, sources close to
the matter said.
The pact, prepared by Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, U.S. Ambassador to Japan
John Roos and foreign and defense officials of the two countries on where to
transfer the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station from a densely populated
residential area in Ginowan, said that the two countries agreed not to delay
the procedure for a current environmental assessment conducted under the
existing bilateral deal, the sources said.
The existing plan agreed on in 2006, which stipulates that two runways in a
V-shaped configuration will be built on land to be created by filling in the
sea near Camp Schwab at Cape Henoko, has already been subject to nearly three
years of environmental assessment.
By affirming the assessment process, the new pact effectively states that Japan
will follow the existing plan, giving up on a new relocation plan which would
entail a new environmental assessment.
Tokyo has proposed to build the relocation facility on pilings in the sea to
assuage local concerns about the project's impact on marine life, but
Washington has expressed reservations about the plan, claiming it could take a
longer time to complete and could increase the risk of a terrorist attack.
The new agreement may be announced in Japan and the United States under the
names of the ''two-plus-two'' Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee on May
28, three days ahead of the deadline set by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to
settle the thorny issue of relocating the U.S. base.
The new accord also says the governments will consider that the new facility
will be jointly used by U.S. forces and Japan's Self-Defense Forces, the
sources said, adding Japan proposed such a joint use to ease local opposition
against the use of Japanese land by foreign troops.
The new pact says Japan and the United States will draw up a detailed
relocation plan at the next ''two-plus-two'' meeting to be held around
September.
The two countries also agreed to transfer part of U.S. drills to elsewhere
outside the prefecture in a bid to lessen the burden on Okinawa residents from
hosting the bulk of U.S. forces in Japan under a security pact, according to
the sources. However, the agreement fails to state details such as where to
transfer part of the drills and leaves them for future negotiations.
The government earlier asked Tokunoshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, about
200 kilometers northeast of Okinawa, to accept part of the drills of Futemma
helicopter units but the plan was dropped from the new pact following strong
opposition from local people there, the sources said, adding the government
will continue asking the island to accept the transfer.
Hatoyama will visit Okinawa on Sunday again and will likely brief Gov. Hirokazu
Nakaima on the outline of the new agreement.
But the plan under the new pact is expected to see rough going ahead as the
local governments and people in Okinawa, who are calling for Futemma's transfer
outside of the prefecture, are certain to react negatively to the central
government's move and may boost calls for Hatoyama to take responsibility.
The Okinawa governor said earlier he will tell Hatoyama during the weekend
meeting that the prefecture will not accept the transfer to the Henoko area,
even if he asks for it.
The upcoming visit will follow Hatoyama's trip to Okinawa on May 4 during which
he publicly announced for the first time his intention to relocate some of the
airfield's functions within the prefecture, contrary to the ruling Democratic
Party of Japan's campaign pledge to transfer all of them outside of Okinawa.
Futemma's relocation from the crowded city of Ginowan is part of a broader
agreement between Japan and the United States on realigning U.S. forces in
Japan and is linked to the transfer of 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to the U.S.
territory of Guam by 2014.
The government led by Hatoyama's DPJ, which came to power last September, has
been seeking to alleviate the burden on the prefecture.
Hatoyama has said he intends to gain acceptance for a government plan to
relocate Futemma from all the parties concerned, including Okinawa and the
United States, by the end of this month, but the prospects of fulfilling the
promise appear dim.
==Kyodo