Voice of Okinawa

By Yoshio Shimoji

As for Lt. Gen. Bruce Wright's Feb. 26 Japan Times special contribution, ``Building a stronger alliance": 　Despite his efforts, Wright's article betrays the fact that Japan and the U.S. are in essence in a suzerain-vassal relationship rather than an equal partnership and that the U.S. forces are stationed here mainly to defend America's security and interests.

Wright states the Japanese people are not fully informed of his men and women's ``intense dedication to the defense and security of Japan" and their commitment to ultimately give their life to preserve safety and freedom for, to borrow his words, ``both our nations." But what does the Code of Conduct repeatedly broadcast on the U.S. military television network say? The very first article of it states: ``I am an American, fighting in the forces, which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense. "

Remember that the U.S. Forces Japan didn't come to Japan as invited guests or ``good neighbors"; they came here as invading forces against a militaristic Japan, defeating and occupying it. However the superficial pretext of the U.S. military presence in Japan may have changed since then, the real picture remains the same: perpetuating U.S. military presence (read: occupation) permanently, thus preserving the safety and freedom of the USA first and foremost.

If Japan and the U.S. were equal partners, why does Washington always take the initiative in Japan's defense matters and force Japan to also reshape its SDF under the cloak of ``Road Map for Realignment" so that it may open the door for SDF forces to fight future global wars alongside the U.S. forces? Wright must know such engagement on the part of the SDF will starkly violate Japan's war-renouncing constitution right across the board. Or are he and his colleagues in the Pentagon insinuating that Japan should change the constitution in accordance with ``the reality" they created themselves ― a cliche Japanese right-wing politicians like to utter?

I also sense Washington's concealed intention in what Wright defines as ``cooperation and interoperability" between the SDF and the USFJ. By allowing SDF forces to conduct maneuvers in U.S. firing ranges in Okinawa or to collocate the Ground Self-Defense Force Central Readiness Force together with U.S. 1 Corps Forward at Camp Zama, for instance, Washington no doubt wants to dilute the unfavorable image of its overly excessive military presence as occupation forces.

Reduce or, as some say, eliminate the U.S. forces from Japan outright. That's the grassroots opinion of the general public both in Okinawa and in mainland Japan. If his sycophantic or pork-barrel ``friends" in military and political circles tell him to the contrary, it is because they think it's no use facing off against Goliath.

The author is a freelance writer in Naha, Okinawa. He can be reached at yshmji37@nirai.ne.jp.