Okinawan-Hawaiian activist seeks U.S. support in halting air base work

But Kajiwara has hope that Trump will "do the right thing" and halt the construction until Okinawans vote on the issue on Feb 24.

You would be better served by having something to "give" to Trump. The man is self-serving and cares little or none for anything that doesn't give him an advantage, real or otherwise.

Lawrence Wilkerson of Overseas Base Realignment and Closure Coalition (OBRACC), a retired U.S. Army colonel and also a former chief of staff to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, gave an interview to The Ryukyu Shinpo newspaper.published Dec. 23. In the interview, he said there's no strategic reason except a financial one  why Marine bases must be maintained in Okinawa.

He said costs to maintain Marine bases and personnel in Okinawa are 50 to 60 percent cheaper than in California thanks to the Japanese government's generous financial support, so that, in spite of the fact that bases in California were being closed one after another, those in Okinawa were kept being open or even strengthened.

My contention on various threads on JT that the new base in Hdenoko is nothing but a white elephant is thus substantiated by someone who was deeply involved in the U.S. military realignment..

It is potentially useful to have American marines stationed so near South Korea. If not on Okinawa, where could they be stationed? In the Korean War, US armored forces had to come by sea, all the way from San Francisco. It took months for armored forces to get into position to resist the North Korea armor.

There isn't any point having them near Asia. They wouldn't last any longer than Task Force Smith did in Korea. Asians should fight their own wars.

Iglenn,

If you think it's necessary to have the Marines stationed near the Korean Peninsula whereby, you must assume, the construction of a new Marine base in Henoko, Nago City, Okinawa must go ahead by any means, why is it that the most active elements of Okinawa-deployed Marines are to relocate to Guam, which is 1,500 km farther away from the Korean Peninsula?

People never forget that no matter what innuendo, lies, assumptions, half-truths, and other misinformation meant to play upon your emotions, the solution to this issue is more complicated than what you read here.

You are getting cherry picked information, taken out of context, to again, play games with your emotions.

Also don't believe for a second that you are getting even 1/2 the story.

Judging from negative reactions by some posters here, it's clear they fear Trump may listen to Okinawa's popular voice opposing the construction of a new base at Henoko. To them any leaders who sympathize with democratic principles are stupid, moron, criminal, liar and all.

Good on him. Any such relocation in Okinawa would no doubt be an environmental disaster. Shifting unwanted based from one place to another around the same tropical islands is ridiculous. Keep the signatures coming! They're up to 163,000 now.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/stop-landfill-henoko-oura-bay-until-referendum-can-be-held-okinawa

Depending upon how one's chooses to over-exaggerate the situation, the landfill at Camp Schwab it is considerably smaller, and less evasive than countless others here in Okinawa. All the rest though, were for Japanese purposes, and not the US Military, hence all the over exaggerated protests about the "disaster" to the environment

People choose to wear blinders and conveniently overlook the .countless other "disasters to the environment" that the government of Okinawa has done here all on it's own.

Also people choose to wear blinders, and scream so loud about the injustice being done here by the base extension that they choose to remain overly unreasonable, and childishly emotional about the issues and stubbornly refuse to negotiate.

Yubaru,

Do you want to say that, since the landfill at Henoko to build a replacement for Futenma or rather a new base is smaller compared with landfills in the civilian sector, there's nothing wrong with the landfill involving the new base construction?

I've argued on many occasions that you cannot discuss the two types of landfill on the same plane. Does a foreign country have any right to force a host country to build a new base for its service by reclaiming waters off the coast, justifying itl by saying the host country is doing the same? LOL!

I've argued on many occasions that you cannot discuss the two types of landfill on the same plane. Does a foreign country have any right to force a host country to build a new base for its service by reclaiming waters off the coast, justifying itl by saying the host country is doing the same?

Yet your so called argument is based upon a false premise so it has been dismissed as being invalid by far too many others besides myself here.

The US has demanded nothing, the Japanese government made the decision.

You keep barking up the wrong tree, and in the not too distant future it will be completed, and we can finally put it and your opinions to rest.

Do you want to say that, since the landfill at Henoko to build a replacement for Futenma or rather a new base is smaller compared with landfills in the civilian sector, there's nothing wrong with the landfill involving the new base construction?

No, and I stand by my previous statements here and on other threads, directly pointing out to you again, that the anti-base protesters who are basing their protests on the claims of "damage to the environment" are ALL hypocrites for not making the same protests all around the island as the local government has done more irreparable damage than the landfill at Camp Schwab.

In fact I would say at least 1000 TIMES more damage and the activist in this article is being a hypocrite as well for not standing up and calling out the OKINAWAN government/Denny Tamaki, for allowing the "ecosystem" in other places be totally destroyed!

This "damage to the environment" theme is to once again, play on the emotions of the people and conveniently overlook the proverbial "rest of the story".

Yubaru,

FYI, the New Ishigaki Airport that was opened in 2013 at the current site instead of the initially planned site at Shiraho due to 34-year struggles by concerned protestors against the land reclamation of coral-rich coastal waters there..

Struggles against the reclamation of the Awase tidal flat have been going on for well over 25 years since the plan was announced. 

Such public movements didn't take place in other cases, such as Nishizaki in Itoman or land reclamation to build another runway off Naha Airport. 

The construction of a new base for the U.S. Marines, who are stationed here for no other reason than for their own sake, is a different story. The construction site is classed by the Prefecture as Rank One habitat of live corals. The construction of the new Marine base must be blocked not only because of the area's pristine natural environment but also because it portends a perpetual U.S. military presence.

Do you think the U.S. can promise its military footprint will end by a certain set date? We've been waiting for the answer for 73 long years.

Correction of the 3rd paragraph:

The construction of a new base for the U.S. Marines, who are stationed here for no other reason than for their own sake, is a different story. The construction site is classified by the Prefecture as Rank One habitat of live corals. The area where landfill has just begun is also a feeding ground for endangered species Dugong to feed on precious seaweed called zostera marina. The construction of the new Marine base must thus be blocked not only because of the area's pristine natural environment but also because it portends a permanent U.S. military presence.