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Japan says talks on U.S. base issue suspended

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‘‘These go beyond (the capacity of) the working group,’’ he added.

=yielding under tremendous U.S. pressure.

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I think the DPJ have gotten in over their head

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They have gotten way over their head.

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This is politics,all talk no action.

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Yeah, the J-govt. is between the proverbial rock and a hard place. The agreement was made and now it has to be implemented. It's quite simple. Mr. Hatoyama and his allies erroneously believe that 3 years later they can disallow it, much as that fool Kamei has basically lead the destruction of the J-post privatization. I like what Roos said the other day about the simple fact of the matter is that if the J-govt. doesn't abide by the agreement, then there will be no movement at all, of any troops.

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Well, if it’s "beyond" the "2+2" Group, then there's only one echelon above that......(well, two if you count Ozawa behind the curtain....). I agree with CoolCali, Amb Roos summed up the position well - if Futenma gets delayed, then all the others moves domino to a halt also - the Transformation of the Alliance Agreement from 2005 specifically spells that out. The US knew that Japan might try to "re-negotiate" some of the more contentious parts of the agreement - so put this hook in there if that in fact occurred. It did.

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‘‘These go beyond (the capacity of) the working group,’’ he added.

Then why does the working group exist if talking about the base is beyond their capacity? It's supposed to be a high-level group.

So, suspend it. It's too hard for the DPJ. Let the Okinawas "suffer" even longer, because their suffering was, supposedly, at the forefront of decision-making.

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intersting how this is worded, my daily yomiuri says flat out the US said all tsalks are off till futenma is decided, the jt blurb makes it look like it was agreed by both US & Jpn that other talks shud halt until futenma is decided.

Gee I wonder which of this is the truth......Jpn just keeps digger their hole deeper each day, China & Russia must be loving this

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This has been where they Futenma issue has been going for some time. Don't expect that base to move anytime soon. I can only imagine the amount of work that went into the 2006 agreement - all wasted now.

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GW -- You beat me to it. The U.S. on Friday told Japan that all talks about "deepening the alliance" were off until Futenma is settled. So this is just the J-side trying to save a little face. Bottom line, the U.S. has called Hatoyama's bluff -- You can't stall on Futenma but at the same time spouting about "broader ties". Afterall, there is no sense talking about new agreements if the DPJ is going to walk away from an existing one. Hatoyama is slitting his own throat here, for the sake of the SDP. And I imagine Obama will make that clear on the 18th when they meet, since he was very accomodating when he visited here, but has now been made to look weak. Did you see Richard Armitrage's statements at the forum here yesterday? He was not subtle in his criticism of Hatoyama.

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And yet Hatoyama said just yesterday he would have a decision by the 18th or so. Does that mean he will have a decision on whether or not to allow discussion on negotiation of a decided issue?

Gotta love how Okada is trying to cover his tracks: "This is an issue about the coalition, something like a delay, and about options" -- other words, it's about everything under the sun. I ask what the purpose of organizing such a group for discussion was if the issue is out of their realm? I agree with some posters above -- the current leadership has simply gotten in over their heads, and are screwed. Any way you slice it, they have to let down their constituents on the promises they made, since the US either gets to move to Futenma, or stay where they are.

Get ready to see Hatoyama develop stomach problems as Abe did.

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(((((I CAN"T STAND THE SUSPENSE!!!)))))

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Japan's problem is, if the DPJ would not respect signed-sealed agreements made by the LDP, then why would anyone make agreements with the DPJ when there's the possibility those could be overturned if/when the LDP returns to power?

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They will wait for the LDP to take the reigns again and then decide.

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One of the worst parts about this for Japan is that during the last G-8 meeting they weren't given the time of day because everyone knew that Aso was on his way out the door, and they were hoping for good things from Hatoyama. Now the latter is making it pretty clear his party can't be trusted, so from here on in there is going to be hesitancy in dealing with them as well.

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There are better places where US bases are required. Afghanistan ;-)

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Japan yr in deep poo poo! You have voided what little credibility you had, now NO ONE ANYWHERE on the planet is going to trust negotiating ANYTHING with the DPJ. Hato-chan you have no frigging idea of the damage yr causing to Jpn you TWIT!

It aint just Futenma now buddy, no one is going to believe a word you say from here on in, nice going, NOT!

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Japan's problem is, if the DPJ would not respect signed-sealed agreements made by the LDP, then why would anyone make agreements with the DPJ when there's the possibility those could be overturned if/when the LDP returns to power?

Japan's problem? Then what about the return agreement of Okinawa in early 1970s that stipulated the U.S. government pay 4 million dollars as the cost to restore the land appropriated for military use to its original state? The U.S. didn't respect it and Japan paid it instead. And by a secret deal, Japan assured the U.S. of free use of Okinawa as the base not only for the defense of Japan but for the Korean peninsula, Taiwan, Vietnam and others. Nukes were also allowed to be brought in and 2 hundred million dollars were paid to the U.S. as a secret fund to help return Okinawa that touched off what would become the "sympathy budget". The US-Japan alliance was originally to protect Japan during the cold war and for Japan to provide the base. But it was transformed into something that requires Japan to serve as the rear base for the U.S. military agendas beyond East Asia.

It's as if Japan is not expected to act on her own initiative in foreign/security affairs but just to follow policies dictated to her. For this country just to follow in the footsteps of the U.S. forever is getting to be out of place in this region. We better shake off mind control and decide the future of this country on our own. Wall Street that milked Japan of money might be the alter ego of those who think it pays to deploy troops from Okinawa and spread war in Asia.

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"CHANGE"? NO WE CAN'T!

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It's the age old problem. US deals with Tokyo which has nothing to do with Okinawa. As long as this is the system employed there will always be problems.

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Seiharinokaze, yes you are right! GW, America has blown this all out of proportion. They want their servants the Japanese to obey with out questioning their masters. I see the spark set off in Okinawa to become a firestorm. I at first only wanted MCAS Futenma off of Okinawa along with the promised Marine base closures. Now I believe they ALL must go. I believe the talks were broken off due to the rude and arrogant Americans. It is clear they talk down to us and this is PROOF! About America being Japans guardian, what a bunch of pig manure! Lets see has their been a time after WW2 when America has been at peace? Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War #1, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Americans call Japanese "warmongers". With the end of these "talks" the prospect of Japan accommodating to the will of America becomes dim. Any relationship is suppose to be a give and take one. I say bye bye to the Americajin you have made your own fate.

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Ha! In other words Japanese leadership has realized it has written a check that it ass cannot cash. So the only option to keep their fringe anti-US base with them is to stall. In the end nothing is going to change for those on Okinawa and the US will continue to have troops there. This bait and stall tactic by Tokyo only shows us that the Japanese still cannot plan and put a plan in action. I wonder how many meetings they will have on this issue with nothing, in the end, being done except dropping their opposition to the base locations.

However, I would simply say that if Japan backs out of a signed agreement with the US on this matter the US should hit Japan where it hurts and back out of some of the sweet trade deals that have helped prop up Japan's export oriented economy.

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seiharonokaze, yuritani,

I think you two must be living in a parallel dimension or something!

No one or any country has asked Jpn to sit on the sidelines. In fact the US has been urging Jpn for a long time to become more active, its yr politicians who have been dragging their butts for decades. I mean still after all these years Japan hasnt even come to terms with WWII, Jpn just tries to let it fade away & then they wonder why her neighbours dont trust Jpn to become more militarily active in the UN etc, well DUH!

Yeah the US/Jpn has secret deals, been known for ages, if the content of more of these come out I am pretty sure Japanese are going to be in for some real shock/surprises. Jpn cant really complain as you got off so easy from WWII & 60+ years later Jpn still cant face their past, cant blame the US for that, you all need to look in the mirror for that I am afraid.

Yuriotani, you need to start thinking a little deeper, do you really think Jpn wud be where it is without the US having defended Jpn for decades, opened its markets to you, let you profit from Korean & Vietnam wars etc etc.

Just imagine if the US packed up & all the bases closed in 1972 or earlier where Jpn wud be now.

BTW I am not American

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Good point.

It's time for Japan to get rid of Article IX with Allied approval.

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GW,

You say "no one or any country has asked Japan to sit on the sideline". And then you wrote "Japan wonders why her neighbours don't trust her to become more militarily active." Don't you think your logic is rather self-contradictory? As for coming to terms with WW2, you are kindly requested to realize what San Francisco Peace Treaty and the following bilateral treaties were concluded for. The war as well as the cold war were long since over. It's you who must be living in some dimension.

Japan should basically defend herself on her own and try to keep security in the Far East through peaceful measures. Japan should not follow without check what the U.S. may pursue. That should be the gist of her diplomacy. What are you so dissatisfied with it for?

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GW, there is a saying that guests and fish start to small after 3 days. It has been 64 years. Japan does not want to be the country America has become. We have our own path to follow. We wish to be peaceful members of the world community in harmony with all. Japan has paid the price, the treaties have been signed. It is over and America has to understand invading a country does not give it unlimited privileges. Again we do not wish to be a warlike nation ever again. Thus American bases in Japan could be a sign that we approve of America's wars of aggression. There is a time for everything and the time is for American troops to leave.

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We have our own path to follow. We wish to be peaceful members of the world community in harmony with all.

Oh the irony! That was the path forced up on Japan by GHQ.

It is over and America has to understand invading a country does not give it unlimited privileges.

The US knows that perfectly well. It's Japan that needs to learn to stand up for itself and learn to play the game of international politics.

Again we do not wish to be a warlike nation ever again.

Really? Seems like quite a few uyoku would like to restore Japan to its glory days and attack North Korea.

There is a time for everything and the time is for American troops to leave.

Yet you don't actually ask them to directly... It's fully within Japan's power to ask the Americans to leave. Look at the Filipinos. They did it. This whining without taking any real action only serves to make Japan look more impotent.

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Can't they just form another committee? and then another? and...

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You say "no one or any country has asked Japan to sit on the sideline".

And then you wrote "Japan wonders why her neighbours don't trust her to become more militarily active." Don't you think your logic is rather self-contradictory? As for coming to terms with WW2, you are kindly requested to realize what San Francisco Peace Treaty and the following bilateral treaties were concluded for. The war as well as the cold war were long since over. It's you who must be living in some dimension.

Not contradictory at all, you see it all rests with Jpn, the US & others have been urging Jpn to be more active in the world. BUT Jpn still has that giant monkey on its back called WWII, yeah sure Jpn has signed some papers, in case after 60+ years you havent figured it out THAT ISNT enough for many of Jpns neighbours so that they wud welcome Jpns participation, come on the US cant still be doing everything for Jpn you have to start doing things for yourselves.

Just remember Jpns action & in-actions will determine the results, the world waits wondering when/if Jpn will jump in, how about it?

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It is over and America has to understand invading a country does not give it unlimited privileges. Again we do not wish to be a warlike nation ever again. Thus American bases in Japan could be a sign that we approve of America's wars of aggression. There is a time for everything and the time is for American troops to leave.

yuriotani,

You know its really really easy for Jpn to say it wants to be a peacful country, harmony & all that, ALL THE WHILE being protected by the US for decades & being under the US nuclear umbrella!!

By all means kick the US out as others have suggested, you see your & Seiharonokazes problem ISNT with the US its with your own govt! But if you do kick out the US dont be surprised if Japns SDF doesnt jump right in & use all or most of these bases & then want a whole lot more war toys to have & possibly use.

By all means go for it & see if Jpn can still be this peaceful place where there is harmony everywhere, it wud be nice, but imo it will never happen, personally I just dont think Jpn can get out in the world on its own without getting itself into trouble & as I said earlier places like China & Russia & certainly NKorea will be ready to push Jpns buttons.

Peace, harmony, wud be great but I just dont think Jpn cud ever pull it off on its own

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