Residents near U.S. base are disturbed by war preparations being stepped up

On the late night of September 11, Harada Kazuko's eyes were riveted on
television images reporting the shocking news of the hijacked jet planes
crashing into New York's Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.

A dealer in miscellaneous goods in the southwestern Japanese city of
Sasebo, she told Akahata that she was terrified by the unbelievable incident
"primarily because I am a resident of a U.S. military base city."

"I wonder what will happen at the U.S. base. I don't believe that an eye
for eye approach will help eliminate terrorism. Sasebo could be a target of
terrorist attacks," she added.

U.S. warships forward-deployed at Sasebo include the world's only forward
deployed amphibious assault ship, the USS Essex, an Austin-class amphibious
landing dock USS Juneau, a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS
Germantown, and the Avenger-class countermeasures ship, the USS Guardian.

Like all the other U.S. military facilities worldwide, the U.S. Sasebo
Naval Base has been placed on "level D" alert, the highest of five
categories, since the Sep. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

On September 18, the U.S. Forces transported munitions to Sasebo from
Hiroshima's Kure City without informing the cities concerned of the action.
A red oil tanker is anchored in Sasebo Port.

The USS Essex and other assault ships are being kept on standby after
being loaded with munitions and other supplies.

On September 20, the fast attack submarine USS Bremerton, which is
homeported in Pearl Harbor, entered Sasebo.

Yamashita Chiaki, director of the Sasebo Council against A & H Bombs
(Gensuikyo), said, "It is highly probable that the entering nuclear
submarines carry nuclear weapons. Sasebo really is in a dangerous
situation." (end)