US to remove 9,000 Marines from Okinawa
Source: Agencies |
April 28, 2012, Saturday
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ABOUT 9,000 US Marines stationed on the Japanese island of Okinawa will be moved to the US territory of Guam and other locations in the Asia-Pacific region, including Hawaii, under a US-Japan agreement.
The move is part of a broader arrangement designed to tamp down tensions in the US-Japan defense alliance stemming in part from opposition in Okinawa to what many view as a burdensome US military presence.
It also reflects a desire by the Obama administration to spread US forces more widely in the Asia-Pacific region as part of a rebalancing of US defense priorities after a decade of war in the greater Middle East. The agreement was outlined in a joint statement issued on Thursday night by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and their Japanese counterparts.
Citing an "increasingly uncertain security environment" in the Asia-Pacific region, they said their agreement was intended to maintain a robust US military presence to ensure the defense of Japan.
"Japan is not just a close ally, but also a close friend," Panetta said in a separate comment. "And I look forward to deepening that friendship and strengthening our partnership as, together, we address security challenges in the region."
The joint statement made no mention of a timetable for moving the approximately 9,000 Marines off of Okinawa. It said it would happen "when appropriate facilities are available to receive them" on Guam and elsewhere.
Under the new agreement, about 10,000 Marines will remain on Okinawa, which has been a key element of the US military presence in Asia for decades. The US also has a substantial Air Force presence on Okinawa.
"I think we have made some progress and this plan offers specific and forward-looking action," said Japan's Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba, who added that Japan wanted to "reduce the burden on Okinawa."
The Obama administration believes the new agreement with Japan will make the alliance more sustainable, while also giving the Marines more regional flexibility.
Over half to go to Guam
Between 4,700 and 5,000 Marines will relocate from Okinawa to Guam, according to a US defense official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity before the agreement was announced in Tokyo and Washington.
The remainder of the 9,000 who are slated to relocate will either move to Hawaii or become part of a rotational presence in Australia and elsewhere in the region, the official said.
Of the US$8.6 billion estimated cost of relocating Marines to Guam, Japan agreed to pay US$3.1 billion, the official said. The total cost includes an unspecified amount for possible construction of new training ranges in the Northern Mariana Islands that could be used jointly by US and Japanese forces, the official said.
The move is part of a broader arrangement designed to tamp down tensions in the US-Japan defense alliance stemming in part from opposition in Okinawa to what many view as a burdensome US military presence.
It also reflects a desire by the Obama administration to spread US forces more widely in the Asia-Pacific region as part of a rebalancing of US defense priorities after a decade of war in the greater Middle East. The agreement was outlined in a joint statement issued on Thursday night by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and their Japanese counterparts.
Citing an "increasingly uncertain security environment" in the Asia-Pacific region, they said their agreement was intended to maintain a robust US military presence to ensure the defense of Japan.
"Japan is not just a close ally, but also a close friend," Panetta said in a separate comment. "And I look forward to deepening that friendship and strengthening our partnership as, together, we address security challenges in the region."
The joint statement made no mention of a timetable for moving the approximately 9,000 Marines off of Okinawa. It said it would happen "when appropriate facilities are available to receive them" on Guam and elsewhere.
Under the new agreement, about 10,000 Marines will remain on Okinawa, which has been a key element of the US military presence in Asia for decades. The US also has a substantial Air Force presence on Okinawa.
"I think we have made some progress and this plan offers specific and forward-looking action," said Japan's Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba, who added that Japan wanted to "reduce the burden on Okinawa."
The Obama administration believes the new agreement with Japan will make the alliance more sustainable, while also giving the Marines more regional flexibility.
Over half to go to Guam
Between 4,700 and 5,000 Marines will relocate from Okinawa to Guam, according to a US defense official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity before the agreement was announced in Tokyo and Washington.
The remainder of the 9,000 who are slated to relocate will either move to Hawaii or become part of a rotational presence in Australia and elsewhere in the region, the official said.
Of the US$8.6 billion estimated cost of relocating Marines to Guam, Japan agreed to pay US$3.1 billion, the official said. The total cost includes an unspecified amount for possible construction of new training ranges in the Northern Mariana Islands that could be used jointly by US and Japanese forces, the official said.
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