By It seems like the leftists in Japan are as dumb as their Korean counterparts:
The commander of U.S. Marine Corps troops in Asia has recently revealed to Japanese defense officials that the true purpose of stationing Marines in Okinawa is to remove North Korea of its nuclear weapons if its regime collapses, sources close to the government say.
Ironically, confusion within the government over the selection of a relocation site for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa Prefecture has helped extract the true intentions of U.S. forces. The question is whether it will pave the way for the building of an equal partnership between Japan and the United States as the administration of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has pursued.
Top-ranking Japanese and U.S. defense officials secretly met at the U.S. Embassy in the Akasaka district of downtown Tokyo on the morning of Feb. 17 to discuss the Futenma relocation issue. The meeting, held in English without an interpreter, was proposed by Lt. Gen. Keith Stalder, commander of Marine Corps troops operating in the Asia-Pacific region.
The commander asked Japanese officials to support the plan agreed upon by Washington and the previous Japanese administration to relocate the base to an offshore area of Camp Schwab in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, and reiterated Washington’s official view on the issue.
At the end of the one-hour meeting, one of the Japanese officials protested to Stalder. “We are experts in security issues, so we understand it. But people say Marine Corps troops are unnecessary in Okinawa because you only reiterate Washington’s official view.”
The commander kept silent for a while, and then revealed that Marine Corps troops in Okinawa are actually there to counter the threat of North Korea, according to one of Japanese attendees. Pointing out that there is more chance that Kim Jong Il’s regime will collapse than a military conflict breaking out between North and South Korea, Stalder explained that the most important mission of Marines in Okinawa in such an emergency situation is to promptly rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons. [Mainichi]
Read the rest at the link, but it has long been known that US Marines on Okinawa would respond to any contingency on the Korean peninsula. You would have to be an idiot not to know that. The Marines on Okinawa regularly participate in major exercises in Korea with the ROK Army to train for these contingency operations.
The Hatoyama government really is the second coming of Roh Moo-hyun.
1:04 pm on April 3rd, 2010 1
"At the end of the one-hour meeting, one of the Japanese officials protested to Stalder. “We are experts in security issues, so we understand it. But people say Marine Corps troops are unnecessary in Okinawa because you only reiterate Washington’s official view.”"
What did the Japanese think the marines were there for? Re-taking the mainland?
2:01 pm on April 3rd, 2010 2
As "Occupation Forces" I guess! lol
2:14 pm on April 4th, 2010 3
I don't doubt that the Marines are there because of North Korea,
but do they really need to be physically in Japan . Why not keep them on standby in the US?
How much longer would it take them to get to Korea from mainland US compared to Japan ? an extra 10 hours ? would that really make any difference ?
All the discussion around Futenma is always about relocation 'within Asia' why is there no discussion about moving them to the US ?
12:05 am on April 5th, 2010 4
The Marines on Okinawa would land by boat which makes having a location near the Korean peninsula so important.
2:16 am on April 5th, 2010 5
an extra 10 hours ? would that really make any difference ?
Duh…. yeah!
2:26 am on April 5th, 2010 6
You, and I mean "YOU" have beans and bullets for maby six hours. Would it matter to YOU, that you will run out four hours before you can EXPECT resupply?
Now if there are no Military Personnel in Korea at the time, it would be different.
10:37 am on April 5th, 2010 7
I doubt it. This is not about the US bearing the brunt of the attack.
The South Koreans have more than enough stockpiled where it needs to be, for a war. Quick resupply would be a South Korean issue to the units at the front. I'm sure there's enough Raman noodles in the country to keep them going for years. The same with bottled water.
It would only be resupply of heavy munitions and reinforcement of airpower (from Guam) that may become an issue. Boots on the ground would not be needed.
This wouldn't be anything like 1950. And yes 10 hrs-72 hrs would be more than enough.
10:56 pm on May 28th, 2010 8
The South has a much larger population and can easily defend itself against the North, which is more afraid of US than we are of THEM.
12:16 am on May 29th, 2010 9
Population?
Population only translates to the amount of dead in the streets.
Your "population" has no weapons.
They are as cows to the slaughterhouse.
It seems that someone is not informed enought to understand the situation.
Now if your "population" were armed to the teeth as the American population is, I might agree with you.
12:27 am on May 29th, 2010 10
The South has no shortage of weapons and would build more if the Americans left.