HONOLULU – After Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima signed off on plans that will allow the relocation of the Futenma Marine Corps Air Station, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said the relocation is key to a broader U.S. realignment of troops in the Asia-Pacific region.
The change will move approximately 8,000 Marines to other locations in the region including Hawai‘i, Guam and Australia.
Schatz called the Okinawa approval “a diplomatic breakthrough” and said it breaks seven years of impasse in which the relocation plan was unable to move forward.
“It is important that the agreement reached satisfies the concerns of the people of Okinawa. Japan is an important ally in the region and Okinawa, like Hawai‘i, plays a key role in the U. S.-Japan alliance,” said Schatz.
“As the transition moves forward and the United States continues our strategic rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific, Hawai‘i will play an even more important role in ensuring the right distribution of forces throughout the region by providing facilities for Marines and DOD service members. Whether it’s facilitating the base relocation or cooperating in energy research or cultural exchange, Hawai‘i and Okinawa have a long history of supporting each other and this is great news for our friends in Okinawa.”
Senator Schatz either doesn't understand or ignores the fact that 2/3 of people on Okinawa openly oppose this move; they want US Military bases OFF of Okinawa, not build a new one. Why should such a high percentage of US troops in Japan be on an island with 0.6% of Japan's land mass? The answer is similar to the sad fate of native Hawiians, as is the history of annexation for exploitation by USA (Hawaii) and Japan (Okinawa).
"Senator Schatz" should stick to what he knows. He is a complete neophyte on foreign relations. Or most issues, actually.
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