Japanese forces could be guarding
U.S. military bases this week
By Wayne Specht, Stars and
Stripes
Greg Tyler / Stars and Stripes
About 100 right-wing protesters marched past the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Sasebo
District base headquarters on Saturday, protesting JMSDF's sending ships to provide
wartime support for the United States. |
Japanese Self-Defense Forces could take up positions outside two
Tokyo-area U.S. military bases as early as this week under a recently revised SDF Law.
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is expected to sign an
order Tuesday to mobilize Ground Self-Defense Force troops. Units will guard two U.S.
bases, including Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, where U.S. forces in Japan headquarters
is located, Japanese newspapers reported.
The other base will likely be Yokosuka Naval Base in Kanagawa
Prefecture, the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet headquarters. The government also may add more
U.S. military installations to the list.
It is the first time the nation’s SDF units will be used to
guard major U.S. military facilities since the revised SDF Law was enacted at the end of
last month.
Japan’s support of the war on terrorism under the revised SDF
law also included dispatching Maritime Self-Defense Force ships for noncombative roles in
the Indian Ocean region.
Since the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States, Japanese
police have been standing duty outside U.S. bases in Japan. However, police do not patrol
areas inside bases.
After the SDF Law revision, both governments held joint committee
talks under the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, which defines the rights and
responsibilities of U.S. forces in Japan.
Last week’s agreement provided the SDF partial right to manage
U.S. facilities. U.S. forces currently manage the bases exclusively under Article 3 of the
bilateral agreement.
The decision was based on Article 23 of the agreement, which
stipulates that Japan and the United States should cooperate in securing the safety of
U.S. bases. Japanese help with security is expected to relieve the burden on U.S. security
forces units, many reduced in strength when troops were sent to support Operation Enduring
Freedom operations.
In facilities used jointly by the SDF and U.S. forces — such as
Misawa Air Base in northern Japan — the SDF assisted in the guarding of the bases by
having Air Self-Defense Force troops manning outbound traffic lanes.
However, at Yokota Air Base and other facilities that are not used by
the SDF, the SDF were not allowed to engage in security activities.
Security units at U.S. bases are augmented by uniformed but usually
unarmed Japanese civilian guards.
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