Dangerous Ospreys may possibly be deployed in Henoko

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Dangerous Ospreys may possibly be deployed in Henoko

The U.S. Marine Corps may possibly deploy the vertical take-off and landing aircraft MV-22 Ospreys, though they have been involved in frequent accidents, at a new base planned to be constructed in Okinawa's Nago City.

On September 9 at an Upper House committee meeting on Okinawa, in reply to the question posed by Japanese Communist Party representative Kami Tomoko, Foreign Minister Okada Katsuya admitted the possibility of the Osprey deployment.

Okada insisted that he will proceed with the construction plan with the possible Osprey deployment in mind by saying, "It is highly possible that the U.S. military will station Ospreys at its new base. On that assumption, we need to negotiate the needed flight paths."

The minister also said that the "non-flying" agreement over residential areas which the previous LDP-Komei government made as a condition to persuade Nago City to accept the new base construction is invalid "because the U.S. side did not make such an agreement."

He added that the U.S. military is requesting that it wants to fly over the sea near the land "more closely than it agreed on with the previous government," hinting that U.S. military aircraft may fly over residential areas.

Citing the fact that Ospreys have caused 41 major accidents resulting in 30 deaths between 1991 and 2000, JCP Kami stated, "Residents there do not want to live with the high risk of accidents and increased noise. The Okinawans' determination to call for the removal of the U.S. Futenma base will not change. The government must give up the construction plan itself."

- Akahata, September 10, 2010