Okinawan Seeks to Cut U.S. Troops

The governor of Japan’s Okinawa prefecture will visit the United States next week to ask for a reduction of its forces on the southern tropical island, a local government official said today.

Residents of the island, home to more than half the U.S. military personnel in Japan, have long called for a reduced U.S. presence, angered by a series of crimes committed by servicemen.

Gov. Keiichi Inamine will leave for Washington on Sunday for a 14-day visit and is expected to meet with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage and military officials, a spokesman at the Okinawa prefectural government said.

“He will of course talk about the reduction issue and crime prevention measures,” the spokesman said.

Inamine’s stance, however, does not reflect that of the central government, which appears willing and eager to assist Washington in focusing its global security strategy on Asia, with Japan in the center.

New Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has reiterated his predecessors’ view that a U.S.-Japan alliance is the bedrock of Tokyo’s diplomatic and security policies.