US envoy urges Japanese acceptance of US troops
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-11-30 15:51

The U.S. ambassador to Japan on Wednesday urged Japanese communities that are reluctant to host U.S. troops to realise the American military presence contributes to the security both of Japan and the region as a whole.

After months of haggling, Washington and Tokyo agreed in October to relocate the Futenma Marine Corps air base on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, clearing the way for a deal to reorganise the nearly 50,000 U.S. troops in Japan.

But the compromise agreement, which would move the base from one part of the island to another, has angered many Okinawa residents, who want the facility moved off the island altogether.

Other Japanese communities affected by the realignment -- part of a global U.S. effort to transform its military into a more modern, flexible force -- are also reluctant to take on what many see as the burden of hosting American troops.

"During the last 60 years, Japan has been at peace, and the world has been spared another world war. A large part of the reason for that success lies in the presence of American troops here in Japan," U.S. ambassador Thomas Schieffer said.

"Yet the presence of our forces in Japan is sometimes seen as a burden to Japanese. That is understandable. The presence of a foreign military anywhere in the world is no one's first choice," Schieffer told a news conference.

"But the fact that American forces have been here gave Japan the opportunity it needed to build the second largest economy in the world. At the same time, American forces here contributed to the peace and stability of the entire region."

Defence Minister Fukushiro Nukaga and Foreign Minister Taro Aso have been visiting Okinawa and other regions to explain the realignment plan, but have faced difficulty winning over a public concerned about crime, noise and environmental damage.

The realignment plan would cut the number of U.S. Marines in Okinawa by about 7,000 from about 18,000 now. But resentment of the U.S. forces runs deep on the island, one of Japan's poorest areas and home to about half the U.S. troops in the country.

"We hear a lot of talk in Japan about the burden borne by Japanese communities. We understand and appreciate the arguments they make," Schieffer said.

"At the same time, we respectfully ask the Japanese people to understand that Americans have borne a heavy burden through the life of our alliance," he said.

"The American taxpayer will spend more than 3.7 percent of gross domestic product on national defence this year. The Japanese will spend less than one percent. In real dollars, we will spend more than 10 times as much as Japan on defence."