US bases must go, protesters demand

[IndianaGreen]

Okinawa has long been an important issue in Japan. Japanese are tired not only of our occupation of that island, but of the seemingly endless crime wave in which Okinawans often find themselves at the receiving end of crimes committed by US military personnel.

US bases must go, protesters demand

Friday 13 November 2009
by Tom Mellen

Visiting US President Barack Obama faced a mass protest in central Tokyo on Friday as activists demanded the withdrawal of the 47,000 US troops still based in Japan.

Demonstrators marched on the US embassy, where survivors of the US atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki delivered a letter urging Mr Obama to do more to cut Washington's enormous nuclear weapons stockpile.

The president also came under fire for not taking the time to visit the two cities and failing to establish a timetable for a withdrawal from Afghanistan.

At a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Mr Obama denied that his administration has been dithering over Afghanistan.

He insisted his next step would not be seen as an "open-ended commitment and that he was bent on "getting this right," although he did not elaborate further.

Mr Hatoyama - who leads the centre-left Democratic Party which ousted the pro-US administration in August's elections - said Japan would end a refuelling mission for US occupation forces in Afghanistan.

But he softened the blow by pledging £3 billion for Afghan schools, agriculture and police.

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/83202

[pokercat999]

1. If you're drunk and your friend takes your car keys, stopping

you from driving, you might be pissed. But, tomorrow you will realize he was trying to save you from your own stupid actions. Thank you Japan. Give up those keys, Mr. President.

[Mudoria]

2. I'm all for removing all US troops from Japan..

let them spend their own money for their defense.