EU y Japon acuerdan desalojar a gran cantidad de personal de Okinawa

U.S., Japan Agree on Okinawa Troop Relocation

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 27, 2012 – U.S. and Japanese officials announced yesterday the two nations have agreed on a plan to relocate U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam.
The joint statement of the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee spells out unit moves, land and facilities on Okinawa the United States will return to the Japanese government, and the costs each government will pay for the relocation.
The joint statement is the latest result of negotiations between the two countries dating to the 2006 Realignment Roadmap and the 2009 Guam International Agreement. The two nations issued a joint defense posture statement in February that “delinked” the two agreements so parts of the relocation plan could move forward more quickly.
“I am very pleased that, after many years, we have reached this important agreement and plan of action,” Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said in a statement yesterday. He praised Japanese Defense Minister Naoki Tanaka for “spearheading discussions” leading to the joint statement.
“We will work closely with our partners in the Japanese Self Defense Force to implement these decisions and to further improve this vital alliance of ours,” the secretary added.
Panetta said he looks forward to strengthening the two nations’ partnership “as, together, we address security challenges in the region.”
During a Pentagon background briefing to reporters yesterday, senior State and Defense Department officials outlined the agreement.
About 9,000 Marines will relocate from Okinawa, with about 5,000 moving to Guam and the rest transferring to other locations in the Pacific such as Hawaii and Australia, the defense official said.
The Marines will be organized in air-ground task forces, which combine command, ground, air and logistics elements that can deploy and operate as a unit.
“This new posture that we've created results in a more operationally effective presence across the region,” the defense official said.
“In the end, we are sustaining the same presence in the Western Pacific that we've intended for some time,” the official added.
About 10,000 Marines will remain on Okinawa when the relocation is complete, the official said.
The agreement also sets Japan’s funding for the move to Guam at $3.1 billion of the overall $8.6 billion estimated cost, the defense official added.
“We're particularly appreciative of this commitment in the context of Japan's fiscal challenges, which we fully recognize,” the official added.
One element of the agreement involves possible development of joint training ranges in Guam and the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands as shared-use facilities for U.S. and Japanese forces, the official said.

The State Department official said the plan will result in a stronger, more sustainable and more flexible alliance.
“This is really a key component of our strategic rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific region,” the official said. “As you know, one of the key aspects of that is strengthening partnerships with regional allies, and of course Japan is a very important alliance partner.”
The official said the agreement reaffirms both nations’ commitment to relocate Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, now in the center of Okinawa’s Ginowan City, to a more remote area of the island. Until the Futenma relocation happens, both governments will share the cost of maintaining the existing facility, the official added.
The Japanese government will determine the timeline for the Futenma move, the State Department official said, noting the U.S. focus for Okinawa is sustaining an operationally effective Marine Corps presence there.
The defense official said U.S. representatives are “delighted” at the agreement.
“We think it's a significant achievement that demonstrates that the U.S.-Japan alliance is still capable of big things,” the official said.

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=116105

El fin de una era: Estados Unidos retira 9.000 militares de su base en Japón

El despliegue militar de Estados Unidos en el archipiélago de Okinawa, en el sur del territorio japonés, era símbolo y garantía de su hegemonía en Asia tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial, pero ahora la situación política ha cambiado, y el traslado de los soldados pretende "mitigar el impacto de las fuerzas de EE.UU. sobre las comunidades locales", según un comunicado que han difundido Japón y Estados Unidos.

En el escrito, los dos países se destaca la isla de Guam, en el Pacífico occidental, que pertenece a Estados Unidos "como un centro estratégico". El acuerdo estipula que de los 19.000 marines que actualmente están en Okinawa, unos 4.000 serán trasladados con sus familias a Guam, donde el Gobierno de Barack Obama pretende ubicar en el futuro 1.000 soldados más. Otros 5.000 marines serían reubicados de Okinawa a lugares como Australia o Hawaii.

El coste para trasladar a Guam a los 4.000 marines, que deberá ser sufragado por Tokio, es de 8.600 millones de dólares. Japón va a desembolsar para el comienzo de las operaciones más de 3.100 millones de dólares.

Esta noticia se ha dado a conocer en sincronía con la reunión en Washington entre el primer ministro japonés, Yoshihiko Noda, y el presidente estadounidense, Barack Obama.

Estados Unidos también trasladará la base aérea que tiene en Futenma (en la ciudad de Ginowan, la isla principal del archipiélago Okinawa) a otra región menos poblada. Ambos países explicaron al respecto que el plan actual "continúa siendo la única solución viable identificada hasta la fecha".

Los habitantes y políticos de Okinawa, en cambio, piden que la base sea movida fuera de la isla y también rechazan el traslado de algunas instalaciones a la zona de Henoko, un área con un ecosistema protegido situado en el norte de la misma isla.

La importante presencia militar estadounidense en la isla de Okinawa, cuya posición es estratégica por su cercanía con China, Taiwán y Corea, genera conflictos continuos la población local

http://america.infobae.com/notas/49321-El-fin-de-una-era-Estados-Unidos-retira-9000-militares-de-su-base-en-Japon