Governor of Okinawa to Rumsfeld - Get US Forces Out

(Naha, Okinawa) On a mission to the Far East, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld visited the island of Okinawa and was rudely informed by Governor Keiichi Inamine that he wants the Americans to leave. Governor Inamine stated that Okinawans have shouldered a heavy burden due to the presence of US armed forces. The Governor and Prefectural Assembly President Kokichi Iramina gave Rumsfeld a petition with the following demands.

The steady implementation of a 1996 U.S.-Japan agreement to reduce the U.S. base footprint by 20 percent, and a "further reduction and realignment of U.S. facilities on Okinawa in a planned and step-by-step manner." U.S. bases cover about one-fifth of the island.

Ensuring that the new Marine air station to be built on northern Okinawa is returned to Okinawa after 15 years.

Relocating Marine training and exercises to other countries and reducing the number of Marines on Okinawa.

Review of the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement.

In addition, Rumsfeld was told to bend over for the environmentalists and ban a new low-frequency sonar used by the US Navy. This is to prevent harm to marine mammals.

Well, now isn't this just ducky. Maybe I'm wrong, but are not international treaties negotiated between the State Departments of the involved countries? Shouldn't the Governor of Okinawa be talking to his Japanese leaders in Tokyo about his problems with the US military?

What's next? Maybe the mayor of a small fishing village will approach Rumsfeld with his demand that US Naval ships not operate where fish are. The noise scares them away.