社説：普天間置き去りは困る

(Mainichi Japan) February 7, 2012
Relocation of Futenma base must not be neglected in review of US force realignment
社説：普天間置き去りは困る

The issue of relocating U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa Prefecture must not be left behind in a review of the planned realignment of U.S. forces in Japan.
(今回の米軍再編成により普天間の移設問題がうやむやにされてはならない。trans. by srachai )

Tokyo and Washington have agreed in principle to transfer some of the U.S. Marines in Okinawa to Guam in advance of the Futenma relocation, even though the two countries had decided to carry out both relocations as a package.
　日米両政府は、在沖縄米海兵隊のグアム移転と米軍普天間飛行場（沖縄県宜野湾市）の移設を「パッケージ」としてきた米軍再編の日米合意を見直し、海兵隊移転を切り離して先行させることで大筋合意した。

Specifically, the number of Okinawa-based Marines to be moved to Guam would be reduced to about 4,700 from the some 8,000 planned initially, while the remainder would be shifted to U.S. bases in Australia, the Philippines and other countries in a rotation.
　具体的には、海兵隊のグアムへの移転規模を当初の約８０００人から約４７００人に縮小し、残りの約３３００人はオーストラリアやフィリピンなどの米軍基地にローテーションで分散移転するという。

It is widely believed that the review has been put in motion on the U.S. government's initiative, with an eye to winning the support of a Congress calling for deep defense spending cuts, including to funds for the Okinawa-based Marines' relocation.
　グアム移転費を含めた国防費の大幅削減を求める米議会の理解を得るため、米政府が移転計画の見直しを主導したものとみられる。

The relocation of Futenma, which is aimed at eliminating the danger the base -- located right in the middle of the city of Ginowan -- poses to local residents, and the transfer of Marines to Guam under the U.S. forces realignment, do not in fact have anything to do with each other.
　もともと、普天間周辺の住民の危険除去を目的とする飛行場の返還・移設と、米軍再編の一環である海兵隊のグアム移転は、歴史的経緯もその性格も異なる。

However, these two separate issues were combined in a 2006 bilateral agreement on the realignment of U.S. forces.
それが、０６年の米軍再編に関する日米合意でセットにされたというのがいきさつだ。

If the transfer of Okinawa-based Marines goes ahead, it will undoubtedly reduce the U.S. base-hosting burden Japan's southernmost prefecture has shouldered for so many decades.
　沖縄に集中する海兵隊の海外移転が進めば、沖縄の基地負担の軽減に結びつくのは間違いない。

If the delinking of the two issues leads to an early transfer of Marines out of Okinawa, it should be regarded as a major step forward.
「切り離し」が早期の海兵隊移転につながるとすれば、それ自体は前進だろう。

However, concerns have been raised that the delinking of the two issues could lead to a slowdown in efforts to relocate Futenma out of Ginowan.
　しかし、この「切り離し」が普天間問題の「置き去り」を招くことになっては決してならない。

The Japanese and U.S. governments are required to respond to local governments' concerns, including that "the U.S. government may lose enthusiasm for settling the Futenma issue once it completes transferring Marines out of Okinawa" and that "the Futenma base may stay in Ginowan permanently."
　「米政府は海兵隊移転で普天間問題解決の意欲を失うのではないか」「普天間が固定化されるのでは」－－こうした沖縄の不安に、日米両政府はきちんと答える必要がある。

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said recently, "As we're aware that local residents are concerned that Futenma may remain there permanently, we'll put our utmost efforts into our negotiations on the issue with the United States."
　野田佳彦首相は「固定化への懸念は承知しているので、全力で（日米で）協議していく」と語った。

As he has pledged, the government should place priority on ensuring that Futenma will be relocated out of Ginowan.
言葉通り、普天間の固定化回避を最優先して取り組んでもらいたい。

The prime minister should have the courage to review the Japan-U.S. agreement to move the Futenma base to the Henoko district of Nago, also in Okinawa Prefecture, which Nago residents are opposing.
　毎日新聞は普天間移設について、沖縄が反対する「名護市辺野古への県内移設」の見直しを視野に入れて再検討するよう求めてきた。
そうでなければ最悪の事態である「普天間の固定化」が現実味を帯びてくるからだ。米側に再検討を提起する勇気を、野田首相に求める。

We would like to request that the two countries ensure that the following two points are carried out.
　また、海兵隊の海外移転見直しについて２点、注文したい。

First, Tokyo and Washington should speed up their consultations on early relocation of Marines to Guam, and work out the details of the plan to rotate the remaining troops to other areas in a way that will truly reduce the burden on Okinawa.
　まず、グアム移転早期実現の協議を急ぎ、残りの部隊の「ローテーションによる分散移転」が現実に沖縄の負担軽減となるよう詳細を詰めることだ。

It would be unacceptable if the Marines on rotation continued to place a burden on Okinawa.
ローテーションの内容しだいで、海外移転が事実上、グアム移転だけになり、負担軽減策が後退してしまうとすれば、論外である。

Moreover, with the decrease in the number of troops to be moved to Guam, the two countries need to review a bilateral agreement under which Japan is required to foot $6.09 billion of the $10.27 billion cost of the transfer.
　さらに、グアムへの移転規模の縮小に伴って、総額１０２．７億ドルのうち日本側が６０．９億ドルを負担するとした日米合意も見直さざるを得ない。

It is a matter of course that Tokyo demand its financial burden be reduced.
日本側の負担減額を要求するのは当然であり、

Japan should not agree to pay any unnecessary costs in an effort to ensure U.S. troops are rotated out of Okinawa.
「ローテーション」対策として安易な支出に踏み切るようなことは避けるべきだ。

毎日新聞　2012年2月7日　2時31分