Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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Japan Citizens' Coalition Vows to Fight US Forces Realignment
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=11D7E4E:3919ACA Representatives of
23 groups from communities want reduction of US bases, oppose plans to
transfer US Marine air station to remote Okinawa town





Coalition of citizens' group opposed to U.S. bases in Japan speak at
news conference at Foreign Correspondents' ClubA coalition of Japanese
groups say it opposes a plan to realign U.S. forces in Japan. However,
a U.S. official expressed confidence that the grassroots movement will
not derail a agreement between Washington and Tokyo.



Representatives of 23 groups from communities that host U.S. military
bases in Japan say the realignment plan is a step in the wrong
direction because it will not make big enough reductions in the size
of the bases.

Plans to transfer a U.S. Marine air station away from an urban area in
the center of Okinawa island are drawing much of the coalition's
anger. The U.S. and Japanese governments have agreed to shift the
airfield to the more remote Okinawa town of Nago.

Hiroshi Ashitomi





Nago activist Hiroshi Ashitomi speaking to reporters in Tokyo , with a
group from Nago, says no matter what, the plan will be unacceptable to
people in the town.

Ashitomi says residents oppose turning the blue sea near Nago into a
military base for killing people. He says Okinawans, just as they did
when the island chain was a kingdom, want to live in peace with their
Asian neighbors.

U.S. and Japanese officials say they hope to finalize the base
realignment agreement by early May.

The biggest issue being discussed is how much Japan will pay to move
8,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa to the U.S. island of Guam. The United
States wants Japan to pay about 75 percent of the estimated $10
billion cost, an amount Tokyo says is too high.







Lawyer/activist Masahiko Goto Lawyer and civic activist Masahiko Goto
says Japan should not pay anything.

"The Japanese-U.S. security treaty decides that we don't have to pay
for the realignment of the U.S. bases to another country," he said.
"We don't have legal responsibility to pay that."

Japan's governing coalition is expected to introduce legislation to
allow Tokyo to pay a large part of the bill.

The political and military affairs director at the U.S. Embassy in
Tokyo, Kevin Maher, told VOA Monday that he is a confident that talks
will resolve the cost issue very soon. He says negotiations have
proceeded smoothly.

Maher says the vast majority of the Japanese public support the U.S.
role in helping





Kevin Maherdefend Japan. But he is not surprised by the opposition in
some communities.

"I think it is inevitable that you would see this in any country,
including the United States - a certain amount of 'not in my backyard'
syndrome that you see whenever you talk about moving bases around or
whenever you talk about moving things from one base to another base,"
noted Maher.

The realignment plan calls for moving some U.S. Navy aircraft from
near Tokyo to southern Japan and transferring several hundred
personnel from the United States to a camp near Tokyo.

In addition, under the plan, Japanese military bases will host U.S.
fighter jet training and provide facilities for refueling some U.S.
aircraft. And Japan's air defense command will move to the U.S. Yokota
Air Base in western Tokyo, while the Pacific island of Guam is to
provide facilities for training Japanese troops.

On a related matter, U.S. Ambassador Thomas Schieffer on Monday
delivered to Japan's foreign minister a document concerning the safety
of nuclear-powered warships. The report is meant to allay public
concern about plans to base a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in
Japan.


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