Hatoyama breaks promise on Futenma

NAHA--On his second visit to Okinawa Prefecture since becoming prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama on Sunday repeatedly made it clear that the Henoko coastal area of Nago was the candidate site for the transfer of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

During a meeting with Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima, Hatoyama apologized for failing to live up to his promise made while campaigning for the Lower House election last year of moving Futenma functions, at the very least, outside of Okinawa.

"I express my heartfelt apology for not being able to stand by my words," he said.

The first public acknowledgement by Hatoyama of the Henoko site as the candidate for the Futenma transfer set off heated opposition from many different quarters.

Nakaima called the choice "extremely regrettable."

More importantly for Hatoyama, the Social Democratic Party, a junior coalition partner, is dead set against any move that does not involve transferring Futenma functions outside of Okinawa Prefecture.

SDP head Mizuho Fukushima said her party would clearly oppose the proposal.

The opposition by Okinawa prefectural government officials and the SDP makes impossible reaching a decision on Futenma by Hatoyama's self-imposed deadline of the end of May with agreement from the local governments, the ruling coalition and the United States.

The opposition parties will question Hatoyama's political responsibility for failing to meet his deadline.

Officials of Japan and the United States intend to include in a joint statement to be approved by the foreign and defense ministers of the two nations by the end of May wording that designates the Henoko area as the candidate for the Futenma relocation.

At that time, SDP lawmakers may decide they can no longer remain in the coalition government.

During his meeting with Nakaima, Hatoyama said, "If we split up the helicopter units in relocating the functions, we would seriously damage the functioning of the Marines."

With the comment, Hatoyama indicated that all Futenma functions would be moved to Henoko, rather than a proposal considered earlier to move some helicopter units outside of Okinawa.

While details of the construction method to be used at Henoko as well as the exact location of the base still have to be worked out, the Hatoyama government's decision means a return in principle to the 2006 agreement reached when the Liberal Democratic Party was still in control of government.

If construction cannot begin due to opposition by Nago, the Marines may have to continue using Futenma, which is located amid a heavily populated urban area.

Hatoyama said he would make further efforts to reduce the burden on Okinawa.

Hatoyama explained that the deterrent force of the U.S. military presence in Japan, including the Marines in Okinawa, could not be lowered at the present time.

"The recent conditions on the Korean Peninsula show there is still a considerable element of uncertainty in the security environment of East Asia," Hatoyama said.

Hatoyama also explained he would seek to move exercises outside of Okinawa to reduce the base burden. However, Hatoyama stopped short of giving specific locations where the exercises would be moved to.

The prime minister also explained that the United States had shown willingness to implement some measures to reduce the base burden on Okinawa by returning some land now used by the U.S. military.

Hatoyama also met with Nago Mayor Susumu Inamine.

Inamine said, "An agreement between Japan and the United States that ignores the local community is a betrayal of the people of Okinawa and Nago. We resolutely oppose the construction of a base in Nago."

Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa will visit the United States and meet Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Tuesday to work out details of the joint statement by the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries.

If the two governments formally agree on the joint statement, Hatoyama will make an announcement at a news conference as early as Friday.