Japan's civil ports and police must not offer U.S. forces foothold for war
-- Akahata editorial, September 1, 2001 (excerpts)

The number of U.S. warship visits to Japanese ports is increasing year by
year; in 1999 it was the largest since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but
the record was broken the following year. On August 28, four U.S. warships
entered four civil ports at the same time.

The U.S. forces are antagonistic toward Japan's public opinion and
movement against such port calls.

Recently, there was a revelation that police have been supplying U.S.
warships with information concerning such movements, in violation of the
constitutional rights of association and assembly.

It also amounts to a violation of public service employees' duty of
maintaining occupational secrets and an infringement of national sovereignty
for Japan's police to supply such information to foreign military forces.

The point to note is that the U.S. Navy assigns its warships to collect
as much information as possible about political, economic, and social
activities at local ports which they visit.

The purpose of their gathering such information is to use Japan's ports
as a foothold for U.S. fighting wars. This is confirmed by the increase of
U.S. warship visits since the enactment of the Japan-U.S. Defense
Cooperation Guidelines-related war laws.

As a reflection of local residents' opposition, many municipalities
administering these ports are showing reluctance to allow U.S. warships to
visit their ports. This is why the U.S. Forces are desperate in trying to
contain the Japanese people's opposition movement so that they can freely
use Japan's ports in future wars.

After WW II, Japan's ports came under the administration of local
governments so that residents' opinions would be reflected in not allowing
the ports to be used for war purposes. In the prewar period, the central
government decided on the military use of ports to make them a foothold for
Japan's war of aggression.

The Japanese government must respect the local residents' aspirations for
peace, refuse U.S. warships entry into Japan's ports, and immediately end
police sharing of information with the U.S. Forces. (end)