U.S. Marines in Okinawa necessary for deterrence: U.S. commander

TOKYO, Oct. 21 (Kyodo) - The outgoing commander of U.S. forces in Japan said Thursday that the presence of the U.S. Marine Corps in Okinawa Prefecture is necessary to maintain deterrence in the region.
''The Marines are uniquely suited to a set of activities that we don't have
anywhere else in the United States military,'' Lt. Gen. Edward Rice told a
press conference in Tokyo. ''(They) have a very significant deterrent effect on
the people that we might want to deter.''
Rice explained that the Marines in the southwestern Japanese prefecture are
effective in signaling to potential foes the force's proximity and capacity to
deal with possible contingencies in the region as well as the strength of the
U.S.-Japan alliance.
He was apparently suggesting that deterrence against the threats posed by
countries such as China and North Korea would weaken if the Marines were moved
out of Okinawa.
Rice, who will be promoted to general and assigned as a commander at Randolph
Air Force Base in Texas after serving nearly three years in Japan, said he
believes ''the right process'' is in place concerning the plan to relocate the
Marines' Futenma Air Station within Okinawa Prefecture.
''We are not certainly at the end of the road yet, but we have a process in
place that I think will ultimately end up achieving the right balance...for all
of the parties involved -- people of Japan, people of the United States, U.S.
military forces, people of Okinawa,'' he said.
On China's growing military power, the commander acknowledged that the country
''has fielded in recent years increasingly capable systems'' and that it is
''without question that they continue to modernize their military forces.''
But Rice said the United States has also continued to modernize its military
and improve the capability of the alliance with Japan during the same time
frame.
''What's important here, I think, is to maintain a balance,'' he said. ''You've
seen the United States maintaining the ability in this region to meet our
commitments to our partners and allies and ensure there maintains a balance
here such that countries can continue to feel safe and secure.''
The commander said countries in the region, including China, are looking for
ways to ''engage constructively together,'' while noting that any relationship
at any level is accompanied by some disagreement.
''The fact that we may not see things the same way -- even within our alliance at times or countries that we don't have partnerships or alliances with -- is not an abnormal condition or a condition to fear. It's the way relationships work,'' Rice said.
He emphasized the importance of having ''mechanisms that allow us to work through those challenges while at the same time keeping open the opportunities that we have to work together to bring prosperity to our nations.''