MCAS Iwakuni to serve civilian flights FY 2012

The U.S. Marine Corps’ Iwakuni Air Station in Yamaguchi Prefecture will resume serving civilian flights around fiscal 2012 as part of a Japanese-U.S. deal on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said Monday.

“We’ve received requests from Yamaguchi Prefecture and Iwakuni city for the early resumption of civil aviation,” Kawamura told a news conference. “The government intends to take steady steps toward resuming civil aviation at the Iwakuni base.”

U.S. Marines not leaving Okinawa as planned

AKAHATA reports that “Admiral Timothy Keating, commander of the Pacific Command, indicated in an interview with Reuters on Feb. 5 that the transfer of U.S. Marines in Okinawa to Guam, initially planned to be completed by 2014, will likely fall behind schedule and that more funds would be needed for the plan.

Keating said: “The schedule for attaining the goal of transferring 8,000 (U.S. Marines) to Guam has fallen behind schedule. In addition, there are not enough funds to immediately carry it out.” He repeatedly said: “The relocation plan will not be carried out as planned, and it will also cost more.”

Japan putting $689M toward realignment of U.S. forces

The Stars & Stripes reports that the Japanese government has decided to allocate $689 million during the next fiscal year for projects related to realigning U.S. forces in Japan.

According to an announcement late Wednesday by the Ministry of Defense, about $345 million will be set aside for moving about 8,000 Marines and their families to Guam, a move expected to be complete in 2014.

That’s a sharp increase from the $4 million allocated for the project in the 2008 budget.

Also included in the budget is $93.9 million for construction of a new Marine air facility on Camp Schwab to replace Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

The plan to relocate the present air station, in the middle of an urban area in central Okinawa, to the rural northeast coast includes building two runways that will extend from Camp Schwab on the Henoko Peninsula into reclaimed land in Oura Bay.

That’s an increase from the $48.3 million budgeted for the new airport in 2008.

US Marines banned from public areas in Okinawa

The U.S. Marines in Japan have ordered U.S. service personnel in Okinawa Prefecture to stay away from residential areas, schools, cemeteries and other public locations in an apparent effort to ease local anger over a slew of incidents involving U.S. military personnel.

The order also prohibits the U.S. personnel from conducting activities such as cliff diving, bungee jumping and hang gliding.

‘‘Service members found in an off-limits area or participating in a prohibited activity will be in violation of’’ the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the Marines said in a message posted on its website.

According to the order, residential areas are off limits to U.S. service personnel unless they are residents there or they are invited by local residents. The personnel can travel through these areas but they must remain on the provided roadways and sidewalks.

Playgrounds, the baseball field, the fishing boat pier and other locations around the U.S. Marine Corps’ Camp Schwab at Cape Henoko in the city of Nago are also off limits to the U.S. personnel.

Moreover, burial sites and tombs are off limits as they are ‘‘sacred to the Okinawa people.’’ The U.S. personnel are banned from all schools in Okinawa unless they are students or parents of students attending that school or employees of the school, the Marines said.

Zurui: “Since I really want to rant, I will keep it simple: THIS IS STRAIGHT UP B.S.!”

The Rest of the Story!

Following the allegation that a US Marine Staff Sergeant raped a young girl, I have decided to expand my research of the US-Japan/Okinawa relationship in the hopes of identifying weaknesses in the so-called “mutual” defense treaty and “host” nation support. I will focus on certain crimes committed by USFJ and the various outcomes relating to US-Japan relations.

As so rightly pointed out, the Japanese media and certain political elements have had a great run on pushing their agenda to have the US bases removed, SOFA revamped, and righting the wrongs committed against the citizens of Okinawa. Bear in mind that it “seemed” like the young victim was secondary to the grand scheme to further push a political/economic agenda.

When will the US understand that apologizing BEFORE all the facts are laid out, instituting punishment BEFORE the case is presented, and (un)knowingly criminalizing all US military and civilian personnel due to the action(s) of the few under SOFA-status does nothing more than to fuel or perpetuate the negative stereotypes that the media, certain Okinawain/Japanese citizens, and right-wingers have of the USFJ?

Why do the “experts,” “analysts,” or other Japan pundits not point out “honne – tatemae” like responses in dealing with situations like this? Was the apology due to being guilty of rape or an apology for other charges that the military will use to punish Hadnott under the USMJ? Was it due to a loss of face? Did the USFJ, experts, linguists, and/or other bother to refute the use of language in the Japanese press in identifying the perp as a suspect, criminal, or rapist? What did the girl report? In my eyes Hadnott is definitely guilty of being stupid, unbecoming of a Marine, and for wanting to do X, Y, or Z with a minor. Guilty as charged on those three BUT what is the rest of the story? Please understand that I am not defending this guy but I am questioning how this incident was used to further certain causes.

Why did certain Japanese newspapers give no more than a paragraph or two to report that the Marine was released due to no charges being filed? No charges? No DNA? No evidence? Did the story pan out? Some say a payout/payoff! What? The last “actual” young rape victim that received big press received approximately $9000.00 in “gomen” or” I’m sorry money” (to keep it at the street term). Was this situation too much for a 14-year old and her parent(s) to handle? Most probably yes since she and her family have been blasted in Japanese language blogs and websites.

Wake up people. Nothing is dropped and kept quite in Japan out of respect of the victim UNLESS there was nothing to pursue on the Japanese-side. The media and certain elements would milk this until the cow ran dry. There is much to pursue on the US-side and I hope that the perp gets what he deserves. Whether we hear additional details of this in the media, behind the scenes bargaining is still going on. The only downside is that the Japanese government must now shine the light on the screw up by the Aegis crew / MOD in handling the accident that killed a fisherman and his son.

Stayed tuned, more news coming your way! There is ALWAYS more to the story!

Let me know what you think.